The Art of the Watchdog

Book excerpt: Expert advice on how any citizen can fight government fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption. Does government fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption make your blood boil? In The Art of the Watchdog, Daniel L. Feldman and David R. Eichenthal show how to fight back. Based on their own work in federal, state, and local government over the last forty years, they will arm you with the tools and techniques needed to put the spotlight on those who cheat and steal from the public or who squander valuable taxpayer dollars through waste and inefficiency. At the same time, Feldman and Eichenthal outline what they see as the good and the bad of current oversight efforts based on case studies from across the nation. Ultimately their goal is to ensure that the “art of the watchdog” does not become a lost one and to improve the quality and integrity of government and strengthen democracy. “In The Art of the Watchdog, Feldman and Eichenthal offer a comprehensive overview of the world of oversight from the perspective of two authors who have been around the block a time or two. If you want to understand the different forms of watchdogs and how they both succeed and fail, there is no better resource available.” — Neil M. Barofsky, author of Bailout: How Washington Abandoned Main Street While Rescuing Wall Street “This is simply the best book written on the government watchdog function. It smartly explains how a persistent, gutsy, and empirical watchdog can be a tugboat moving supertankers.” — Mark J. Green, former New York City Public Advocate and author of Who Runs Congress? “Who really watches out for abuses and waste in government? Often it is committed public servants who understand that oversight is part of doing the people’s business. Feldman and Eichenthal show how effective watchdogs can lead to better government performance and improved public confidence.” — Tom Griscom, former White House Communications Director in the Reagan administration