Government for the Public Good

Published in September 2018, Government for the Public Good is a major work about the renewal of government – what it does and how it does it – in the face of the big challenges of the twenty-first century.

In a time of global political ferment, established ideas are coming under renewed scrutiny. Chief among them is one of the dominant notions of our era: that we should entrust markets with many of the tasks previously carried out by government.

In this wide-ranging book, I go beyond anecdote and partisanship, delving deep into the latest research about the sweeping changes made to the public services that shape our collective lives. What I unearth is startling: it challenges established thinking on the effectiveness of market-based reforms and charts a new form of ‘deep’ democracy for the twenty-first century.

Refreshing and far-sighted, this stimulating book offers New Zealanders a new way of thinking about government and how it can navigate the turbulent world ahead. Copies can be purchased in good bookstores or ordered from my publisher, Bridget Williams Books. Updates on the book and related issues can be found at my Good Society site or by subscribing to my mailing list below.

Subscribe to the ‘Good Society’ mailing list