Robert Maranto teaches political science and public administration at Villanova University. He formerly served as senior faculty member at the Federal Executive Institute. Maranto has done extensive research on political appointees in government, civil service reform, and education reform (particularly charter schools). His most recent book isRadical Reform of the Civil Service (with Steven Condrey, Lexington Books, 2001).

Chapter 1 Political Appointees, Career Executives, and Leadership at the "T" Chapter 2 Why Presidents Need Political Appointees, and How Those Appointees (Mostly) Add Value to Government Chapter 3 Why We Fight: The Causes of Conflict between Career and Political Officials Chapter 4 A Careerist's Perspective: Keeping Bad Ideas from Becoming Presidential Policy Chapter 5 Beyond the Fire Hose: How We Orient Political Appointees, and How We Could Do It Better Chapter 6 Beyond a Government of Strangers: What You Can Do to Get Along with Your Political Appointees Chapter 7 Appendix 1: A Model Orientation Curriculum for Political Appointees Chapter 8 Appendix 2: Guidelines for Loyal Dissent in Government

With rare exceptions, few large institutions change bosses every two or three years. Yet the U.S. Government has temps on top. American government has 3,000 presidential political appointees and thousands more state and local political appointees, who refer to their in-and-out bosses as "Christmas help." Beyond a Government of Strangers is the first book to focus on the men and women who stick around, on the career executives and their own roles in the executive branch. Robert Maranto provides pithy, sage advice on how career bureaucrats can improve tenuous relationships and overcome conflicts with political appointees, especially during presidential transitions, for more effective government from the top down.