Why Washington Fails the Test of Competence

<p>In an era of unprecedented challenges why does the world's most powerful government so often seem powerless? In Why Washington Fails the Test of Competence the lessons of President John F. Kennedy's leadership are masterfully excavated to diagnose the deep-seated structural and cultural ailments plaguing modern Washington.</p><p>This is not merely a nostalgic look back at Camelot. It is a compelling forensic analysis that contrasts Kennedy's ethos of rigorous deliberation intellectual curiosity and clear-eyed accountability with today's reality of performative politics bureaucratic inertia and a corrosive culture that prioritizes partisan victory over tangible results. The book moves beyond partisan finger-pointing to expose the systemic failures that transcend any single administration:</p><p>• The Erosion of Expertise: How a disdain for deep knowledge has replaced competence with ideological conformity.</p><p>• The Performance over Policy Trap: Why the incentive structure rewards media spectacle and messaging bills over substantive bipartisan problem-solving.</p><p>• The Institutional Decay: An examination of how arcane procedures the abdication of congressional war powers and a bloated administrative state have created a system designed for gridlock.</p><p>More than a critique this book offers a vital and actionable blueprint for renewal. It argues that the solution lies not in waiting for a new knight in shining armor but in rebuilding our institutions and demanding a culture of governance that values candor rewards competence and reclaims the founding principle that government exists not to serve itself but to serve the American people effectively. Essential reading for every citizen policymaker and leader who believes that the world's greatest democracy can and must once again become its most competent.</p>