What Faculty Are Saying about Making the Madisonian System Work
"As the largely unrecognized originator of the best in public management theory and teaching, Dan Fenn deserves all of our thanks for this collection. In it he provides valuable teaching vehicles and the best combination of practical and effective public management in a constitutional context. This work is a gift to all of us who have been mentored by him and particularly to those who have yet to learn his practical, ethical and uplifting message about how to really be a public person."
--Jon Brock, Associate Professor, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington
"I have found that these cases are an excellent way to connect the students' professional experiences to the theortetical foundations of American government. Everything from separation of powers to bureaucratic hierarchy are revealed as essential characteristics in modern administrative leadership. The students become engaged with the tough choices presented in the cases, then they are able to find patterns that sometimes trace to Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. They come to see that the Constitution is not ancient history but a current event, as current as work tomorrow morning.
The cases work especially well for students who have professional experience. They find that their struggles are not unique to their boss, budget, staff or other factors. The ensuing class discussions quickly show that almost everyone in the room has had similar struggles. Finally, the students can see that the nature of their difficulties often traces to ideas about organization and process that put a premium on frustrating the exercise of public power. They find that they work in an intriguing paradox: they have jobs from which much is expectd while working in a system that is designed to complicate their efforts."
--Neil Sullivan, Professor, School of Public Affairs, Baruch College
