Stuart Shapiro is Professor and the Interim Dean at the Bloustein School of Planning and Policy at Rutgers University (US). Dr. Shapiro received his PhD in public policy from Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government. Prior to joining Rutgers, he worked at the Office of Management and Budget under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush. Dr. Shapiro teaches classes in economics, public policy, and politics. He has written three books and published numerous articles in law reviews, political science journals, public administration journals, and several others. He writes op-eds for The Hill and occasionally other news sites and has been quoted in the popular press extensively.

• Acknowledgements.- The Appeal of Neutral Competence.- Where to Find Neutral Competence.- The Office of Management and Budget: When Responsive Competence Isn’t Enough.- Congressional Budget Office: Wonks Protected by Congressional Committees.- The Government Accountability Office: Redefining but Maintaining Neutral Competence.- The Economic Research Service: Attacking Neutral Competence by Going Around the Rules.- The Four P’s of Protecting Neutral Competence.- The State and Fate of Neutral Competence.- Bibliography.- Appendix.

“This book offers the reader an instructive analysis of foundational values of public administration and how these values have been impacted by President Trump. Rather than trying to tackle the entire federal bureaucracy, the choice to intentionally focus on agencies with specific characteristics provides a more compelling set of findings and guidance for readers and scholars” (Teaching Public Administration, August 2, 2024)