Bureaucracy and Democracy in America: An Introduction

To fix local government, learn to ask the tough questions. To ask the tough questions, learn the gory details.

For years, I’ve wanted to write a primer on how local governments and bureaucracies actually work. Despite this conviction, I never mustered the courage to put pen to paper. Now, with government reform gaining mainstream attention, thanks in part to DOGE, I have newfound impetus to get off the sideline.

From my time in City Hall, I have seen firsthand that when the public knows how to ask the right questions—at the right level of detail—it can meaningfully influence how governments operate. The problem? Bureaucracy is currently too complex for most people to navigate, leaving them unsure of what to ask. Without a deeper understanding of what is going on under the hood, true accountability is out of reach.

Bureaucracy and Democracy in America will break down these complexities and teach the details, equipping readers with the knowledge to engage more effectively with their local governments.

---