the unelected officials who actually run the government and their misconceptions about the American people Bachner, Jennifer 1983- creator autor. Ginsberg, Benjamin 1952- autor. text bibliography nyu 2016 monographic eng

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304 pages ; 24 cm "Each year unelected federal administrators write thousands of regulations possessing the force of law. What do these civil servants know about the American people whom they ostensibly serve? Not much, according to this enlightening and disturbing study. The authors surveyed federal agency officials, congressional and White House staffers, and employees of various policy-making organizations about their attitudes toward and knowledge of the public. They found a significant chasm between what official Washington assumes they know about average Americans and the actual opinions and attitudes of American citizens. Even in such basic areas as life circumstances (e.g., income levels, employment, racial makeup) the surveys revealed surprising inaccuracies. And when it comes to policy issues--on such crucial issues as defense, crime, social security, welfare, public education, and the environment--officials' perceptions of the public's knowledge and positions are often wide of the mark. Compounding this ignorance is a pervasive attitude of smug dismissiveness toward the citizenry and little sense of accountability. As a result, bureaucrats tend to follow their own preferences without much reference to the opinions of the public. The authors conclude with recommendations to narrow the gap between official perceptions of the American public and the actual facts. These include shorter terms, rotation from the Washington beltway to local offices, compulsory training in the responsibilities of public office, and better civic education for ordinary citizens in the realities of government and politics"-- "This book reveals a surprising ignorance on the part of unelected federal officials regarding the life circumstances and opinions of average Americans as well as an attitude of condescension"-- Jennifer Bachner and Benjamin Ginsberg. Includes bibliographical references (page 245-266) and index. n-us--- Administrative agencies United States Executive departments United States Bureaucracy United States Government accountability United States POLITICAL SCIENCE / Government / National POLITICAL SCIENCE / Civics & Citizenship Agencias administrativas Departamentos ejecutivos Estados Unidos Burocracia JK 421 B124w 2016 351.73 POL030000 POL003000 Bachner, Jennifer, 1983- author. Amherst, New York : Prometheus Books, 2016 (DLC) 2016041736 9781633882492 (hardback) 9781633882508 (ebk) DLC 200519 20230411090115.0 spa