The U.S. Constitution calls on the government to "promote the general welfare." In this provocative and innovative book, a distinguished roster of political scientists and economists evaluates its ability to carry out this task. The first section of the book analyzes government performance in the areas of health, transportation, housing, and education, suggesting why suboptimal policies often prevail. The second set of chapters examines two novel and sometimes controversial tools that can be used to improve policy design: information markets and laboratory experiments. Finally, the third part of the book asks how three key institutions—Congress, the party system, and federalism—affect government's ability to solve important social problems. These chapters also raise the disturbing possibility that recent political developments have contributed to a decline in governmental problem-solving activity. Taken together, the essays in this volume suggest that opportunities to promote the common good are frequently missed in modern American government. But the book also carries a more hopeful message. By identifying possible solutions to the problems created by weak incentives, poor information, and inadequate institutional capacity, Promoting the General Welfare shows how government performance can be improved. Contributors include Eugene Bardach (University of California-Berkeley), Sarah Binder (Brookings Institution and George Washington University), Morris P. Fiorina (Stanford University), Jay P. Greene (University of Arkansas), Robin Hanson (George Mason University), Charles A. Holt (University of Virginia), David R. Mayhew (Yale University), Edgar O. Olsen (University of Virginia), Mark Carl Rom (Georgetown University), Roberta Romano (Yale Law School), William M. Shobe (University of Virginia), Angela M. Smith (University of Virginia), Aidan R. Vining (Simon Fraser University), David L. Weimer (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and Clifford Winston (Brook

Directed specifically at the practicing marketing executive, Cases and Select Readings in Health Care Marketing integrates understandable explanations of marketing concepts, articles selected for topical timeliness and pragmatic value, and case studies illustrating the detail and complexity of market decisions faced by today’s health care and human services marketing professional. Each chapter of this landmark volume includes a brief but thorough presentation of one conceptual area of marketing, which is then evaluated, analyzed, or demonstrated in selected articles written by prestigious and successful members of the marketing profession. Finally, a variety of extensive case studies follow which have been gathered to demonstrate further the service marketing profession at work. Many of these excellent cases were prepared especially for this volume and represent path-breaking treatments of such topics as health care marketing auditing, psychographic analysis, pricing in alternative delivery systems, promoting a public health service, and marketing planning for private colleges. Special offer from the editors: Buy Cases and Select Readings in Health Care Marketing and the authors will guarantee you a free written response--up to three pages--to your first inquiry about marketing your own organization!

This anthology is designed for use as a brief introduction to ethical theory. Included are sections on various forms of ethical theory: Ethical Relativism; Divine Command Theory; Egoism; Consequentialism; Deontology; Justice; Virtue Ethics; and Feminist Ethics. Each section includes two or three of the most important and interesting contributions to the field, together with brief introductions by the editors. A final section, Theories in Practice, consists of five selections on the issues of abortion, world poverty, and affirmative action.

Vinz identifies the form of American nationalism as the nationalism of messianism, but demonstrates that Protestant leadership throughout the twentieth century gave no consistent voice on what America should be messianic about, displaying a cacophonous mix of nationalistic expressions that both reflected and contributed to societal confusion.