David A. Rochefort is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Northeastern University.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Telling the Story of Systemic FailurePart I: Theoretical Considerations 1. The System as Panacea, Uncertain Promise, and Scourge2. Narrative and Its Political UsesPart II: Four Social Problem Novels 3. Health Care, But at What Cost?4. Falling into the Cracks of Our Mental Health (Non)System5. How Deep the Despair of Life in the Precariat6. Justice DeniedPart III: Conclusion 7. Empathic Policy Argument, Agenda Setting, and the Culture WarsAppendix A: A Partial Listing of Social Problem Novels since 2000NotesIndex

"Systems from Hell is a fascinating exploration of a very difficult subject: policy failure. The approach is magisterial because Rochefort builds on his pioneering work on problem definition to push the boundaries beyond agenda setting. But he does it in a way that is original, unique, and highly relevant: through the analysis of social problem fiction. I don't know of any policy study that does so as effectively as his book does." — Nikolaos Zahariadis, author of The European Union in the 21st Century"David Rochefort offers supremely insightful readings of political novels and demonstrates how fiction can move audiences to empathy, outrage, and deep understanding of our most intractable policy controversies. Would-be political reformers from students to seasoned consultants and politicians should forget all the cognitive science and punditry and study this book instead." — Deborah Stone, author of Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making