Book Review: The 21st Century City: Resurrecting Urban America

Former Indianapolis Mayor Steven Goldsmith discusses in this book how he worked to apply the principles of free market business to government services. His greatest success was in reducing bureaucracy, improving services and reducing government spending by $18 million. This led to a reduction in property taxes without cutting services! By forcing government departments to compete for contracts with private businesses, he managed to reduce overall government spending. He shifted the focus of government and started treating citizens like customers, which improved services for all. It is a very interesting read for anyone who wants to understand how to merge business and government into a viable entity.