Exposes the complexities and challenges of how governments work. The mission of this book: to explain how government bureaucracies operate, and why they do what they do. The authors tackle hiring, firing, budgeting, policy development, decision-making and spending. They explain how bureaucracies work (and don't work) with politicians, the media, interest groups, lobbyists and fellow bureaucrats. They use personal experiences as well as insights from academics, politicians and other bureaucrats to illustrate their account.