The classic book on the way American government agencies work and how they can be made to work better — the "masterwork" of political scientist James Q. Wilson ( The Economist ) In Bureaucracy , the distinguished scholar James Q. Wilson examines a wide range of bureaucracies, including the US Army, the FBI, the CIA, the FCC, and the Social Security Administration, providing the first comprehensive, in-depth analysis of what government agencies do, why they operate the way they do, and how they might become more responsible and effective. It is the essential guide to understanding how American government works.