Every problem in government has been faced before. The fastest way to understand how to tackle today’s challenges—or how to avoid past mistakes—is to study how others have solved or framed them.
This annotated bibliography collects that knowledge: the books and documents that have helped me go down the rabbit hole of bureaucracy, ranging from manuals written a century ago to contemporary histories.
I’ve drawn on several kinds of sources. Some are theoretical works on budgeting, personnel, and other core functions. Others are historical documents—manuals, reports, and guides actually used by agencies in the past. And some are case studies and histories that cover particular agencies and programs.
