Posts from the ‘Can government do anything right?’ Category

Fiorina, Medvic, Flinders comment on “Can Government Do Anything Right?”

Comments on Can Government Do Anything Right?, forthcoming from Polity Books in January 2018:

“This contrarian work is a welcome corrective to the doom and gloom commentary that is so common today.  Not only that, it’s a good read as well.  It will get an intensive workout in college seminars.” — Morris P. Fiorina, Stanford University

“Governing, particularly in democracies, is difficult and often frustrating work. In this vital new book, Alasdair Roberts explains why by identifying the multiple constraints imposed on political leaders. More importantly, he makes a convincing case that, over time, Western governments have successfully adapted to these constraints and have been largely effective at addressing the challenges they face. At a time when so many citizens are disenchanted with their governments, the argument in this book deserves a wide audience.” — Stephen K. Medvic, Franklin & Marshall College

“In a world dominated by narratives of democratic crisis and decline Alasdair Roberts reveals the innate complexities of modern governance and political statecraft. In a book that is as clear and accessible as it is intellectually thoughtful and provocative, Roberts offers a positive and optimistic account of contemporary politics. It offers an energising breadth of fresh air in what is otherwise a fairly gloomy scholarly space.”  — Matthew Flinders, University of Sheffield, President of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom.

Cover design for new book from Polity Books

This is the cover design for a short book that I am writing for Polity Books, as part of their new Democratic Futures series.