Luncheon, Discussion and Book Signing with Philip K. Howard

Beginning with his book The Death of Common Sense in 1995, Philip has written about the central role of human responsibility in a functioning government—the freedom to make timely choices, and to be accountable for them. In 2002, he formed Common Good, a nonpartisan coalition to champion these ideas. His latest book, Not Accountable, shows how elected officials have been disempowered by public unions.

In Not Accountable, Philip K. Howard argues that public employee unions have undermined democratic governance and should be unconstitutional. American voters elect governors and mayors who, under union agreements, have been disempowered from managing schools, police departments, and other public agencies. This is why schools can’t work, bad cops can’t be fired, states struggle under the weight of unaffordable pensions, and frustrated voters reach for extremist solutions. Politicians can’t break the union stranglehold because, among other reasons, they’ve sold their souls for union political support.