Unbroken Government: Success and the Illusion of Failure in Policymaking

Unbroken Government presents a positive message about the United States government by exploring the influence of presidents, the Congress, and bureaucracies in making policy. Using a three stage theory of the policymaking process, Whitman Cobb shows how only some institutions are influential at certain points in time: the Senate and president when policy problems first emerge, the House of Representatives and bureaucracy in routine periods, and the Senate and president during periods of crisis. Employing analyses of such varied case studies as human spaceflight and clean air, Unbroken Government focuses on policymaking actions rarely seen and demonstrates that despite a seeming breakdown in government, policymaking continues on unabated.