Rebuilding Expertise

Rebuilding Expertise synthesizes decades worth of history, policy, and law to illustrate how weakening faith in government has been going on for decades and is not simply a Trump phenomenon. Timely, accessible, and thoroughly engaging; this book is a must read. ~Wendy E. Wagner, Richard Dale Endowed Chair in Law, the University of Texas at Austin

Rebuilding Expertise offers a terrific exploration of the federal government, and is a must-read for laypersons and scholars alike. It is remarkably sweeping, providing colorful and keen insight into how the government has functioned under several presidents from Reagan through Trump. Araiza’s detailed exposition illustrates clearly that the increasing interest in deregulation from politicians and the American public alike stems from a fundamental lack of trust in the government. Moreover, the book’s central contention that this trust, and the government itself, can be rehabilitated by reinvigorating administrative expertise, is a meaningful response to the problems of competence and polarization faced by the US today. Ultimately, Araiza’s prescription—that the bureaucracy be accorded expansive power and wide berth—is controversial, but may very well be the key to improving both the effectiveness and legitimacy of the administrative state. I highly recommend this book! ~Bijal Shah, Visiting Professor of Law, UC Berkeley School of Law, and Associate Professor of Law, Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

Araiza does a masterful job at making the complex and interwoven causes of the decline in public trust accessible and engaging. Rebuilding Expertise is essential reading for those invested in understanding the many complex forces that have led us to this current moment in history. ~Sidney Shapiro, Frank U. Fletcher Chair in Administrative Law, Wake Forest University