Say it ain't so, moe: Institutional design, policy effectiveness, and drug policy Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Terry Moe argues that effective public policies require presidentially created and run bureaucracies because only presidents have the incentives to consider broader public interests. Using Moe's argument, we examine the historical performance of the federal drug law enforcement agencies, agencies that met Moe's criteria for president-dominated bureaucracy. Rather than effective public policy, we find an agency with little policy expertise, the absence of effective bureaucratic leadership, and public policy activities that have little or no impact on drug usage in the United States. Based on this case study, we argue that linkage between bureaucratic design and policy effectiveness is far more complex than Moe portrays. 1994 by The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Inc.

published proceedings

  • Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory

author list (cited authors)

  • Meier, K. J., & Smith, K. B.

complete list of authors

  • Meier, KJ||Smith, KB

publication date

  • October 1994