Government for the public good : the surprising science of large-scale collective action / Max Rashbrooke.

Includes bibliographical references.

Preface: New Zealand in an evolving world -- Introduction: Holy taxation, Batman! -- Government for the public good: the core argument -- A partnership in all art: the history of governments -- The ten habits of highly successful governments: building a new model -- Markets and governments: mapping failures and responses -- The good, the bad and the greater good: critiques of government -- The night watch: preserving law and order -- Only one earth: protecting the planet -- Municipal joy: urban planning and place-shaping -- Liquid assets: organising basic infrastructure -- Of human flourishing: providing health and education -- A balance in the unbalance: redistributing income and wealth -- Master and machine: managing the economy -- A fluid future: a vision of liquid government.

"In a time of global political ferment, established ideas are coming under renewed scrutiny. Chief among them is one of the dominant notions of our era: that we should entrust markets with many of the tasks previously carried out by government. In this wide-ranging book, Max Rashbrooke goes beyond anecdote and partisanship, delving deep into the latest research about the sweeping changes made to the public services that shape our collective lives. What he unearths is startling: it challenges established thinking on the effectiveness of market-based reforms and charts a new form of ‘deep’ democracy for the twenty-first century. Refreshing and far-sighted, this stimulating book offers New Zealanders a new way of thinking about government and how it can navigate the turbulent world ahead"--Back cover.