My new blog

When Chris Dorobek asked me if I was interested in doing a blog for FCW, my first reaction was, "Cool! My kids will now finally understand at least something I do." My wife Shelley was less enthusiastic. "If you ever want to go back into the government, all this is going to do is provide a bigger target for anybody who doesn't like you to shoot at."

Well, maybe she's right. I guess, though, that my opinions are my opinions, and hunkering down, being afraid to express yourself, is hardly a very honorable -– or even personally satisfying –- way to live your life. So, for those who want one, welcome to a new target.

My blog will draw on my exposure to government, teaching, and academic research. I will share snippets from the classroom and from conversations in Washington (anonymized unless I get permission from the person concerned), and provide quick reactions to breaking news stories involving government management. My pespective will be the one I applied in my career in government and in my life as a teacher and scholar of public management: good government -– a phrase I use unabashedly -– and the achievement of effective performance of the government's missions on behalf of people.