ROBERT KLITGAARD

Policy Analysis for Big Issues

Policy Analysis for Big Issues: Confronting Corruption, Elitism, Inequality, and Despair

In a world grappling with seemingly insurmountable challenges like

systemic corruption, elitism, and chronic inequality, this book is a beacon

of hope and a wellspring of practical solutions. Brimming with real-world

examples and actionable insights, this remarkable anthology equips readers

with the knowledge and inspiration needed to ignite transformative change.

The book explores topics as awesome as world development, as sordid

as extortion, as vital as cultural responsiveness, as intimidating as ethnic

inequalities. Its settings stretch from Harvard to the Himalayas, from the

corridors of power to the backwaters of poor places. What binds together

its diverse topics is the author’s belief in the possibility of simultaneously

being humane and analytical, of dealing with both ultimate goals and

concrete choices.

Tailored to resonate with policymakers, activists, and scholars alike, this

book’s global scope and unwavering focus on positive and practical

solutions make it an indispensable addition to any collection.

Published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing on 2023-08-25.

Order your hardback copy here:

Policy Analysis for Big Issues by Robert Klitgaard

Paperback edition expected in March 2024.

PRAISE FOR POLICY ANALYSIS FOR BIG ISSUES

“Bob Klitgaard is a world-class one-man think- and do-tank. This book is at once a collection of his greatest hits, a tempting introduction to his extraordinarily rich and diverse body of work, and a call to action on what are still some of the most pressing issues in global development today.”

—RT HON JESSE NORMAN, Minister of State and Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom

“Robert Klitgaard has not just taken on the hardest issues, ones too often avoided, from corruption to culture to inequality, he has lived them. His writing is a delight, combining the sharp analytics of a Paul Krugman with

the vivid imagery of a Paul Theroux.”

—GREGORY F. TREVERTON, University of Southern California, former Chair of the U.S. National Intelligence Council, author of Telling

Truth to Powery

“In nine rigorously analytical books, Klitgaard has examined challenges of implementing high-minded policy in the real world. This well-crafted anthology of concluding chapters encourages previous readers to go back and savor favorite passages. New readers are in for a treat!”

—IAN D. CLARK, Distinguished Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and former Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada, co-creator of Atlas of Public Management

“Kofi Annan honored the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS, by becoming the first Li Ka Shing Distinguished Chair Professor. The challenge was to find a fitting successor. Fortunately, Bob Klitgaard availed himself. He shared Kofi’s passion for Africa,steadfastness in fighting injustice, belief in good governance, and the desire to make the world a better place. This ingenious volume draws out the best of Klitgaard. It will

inspire the world for generations.”

—KISHORE MAHBUBANI, founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, author of The Asian 21st Century

Robert Klitgaard uses analytics to guide practice in ways that help make the most daunting challenges we face that much more tractable. And he does so in his own inimitable, erudite-yet-humorous style. For the habits of mind and practice it fosters, Policy Analysis for Big Issues belongs in the toolkit or fieldwork backpack—just don’t leave it on the shelf!—of anyone who cares about effecting practical change against daunting odds.”

—SCOTT A. FRITZEN, President, Fulbright University Vietnam, co-author of The Routledge Handbook of Public Policy

“Robert Klitgaard is a rare scholar who has freely migrated back and forth between academia and application across over 30 countries on topics ranging from anti-corruption to selecting candidates for elite colleges to culture and economic development. Policy Analysis for Big Issues is as close as one can get to the greatest hits of his distinguished career—a collection of conclusions from his oeuvre that distil his rich, hard-won, first-hand insights. The riveting stories from Asia, Africa, and Latin America;

thought-provoking cases of policy successes and failures; and practical advice on how to transform ourselves and the world for the better will no doubt leave readers wanting to go out and buy the full Klitgaard collection.”

—MICHAEL MUTHUKRISHNA, London School of Economics, author of A Theory of Everyone: Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going

“Policy Analysis for Big Issues is a banquet of insights, ideas, and practical notions. And as the writing is great, every course goes down so very smoothly.”

—EUGENE BARDACH, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley, author of A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving

“This collection of Bob Klitgaard’s writings integrates economics, anthropology, and a lot of practical wisdom on how to understand other societies and other people. There is no better guide to policies that seek to make life better and more just for everyone.”

—FRANCIS FUKUYAMA, Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow, Stanford University, author of Liberalism and Its Discontentse to impress potential employers. Get started on your job search today!

“The books that stay in my mind are a tiny fraction of the ones I read. Robert Klitgaard wrote two of them—Choosing Elites and Tropical Gangsters. Reading the concluding chapters of his other books in Policy Analyses for Big Issues tells me that I’ve just scratched the surface of the things that he has to teach me.”

—CHARLES MURRAY, Friedrich Hayek Emeritus Scholar, American Enterprise Institute

“Professor Klitgaard’s trademark has been tackling complex and under-researched societal issues with an unusually diverse analytical toolkit. This volume shows why he’s one of the policy world’s most creative problem-solvers.”

—MICHAEL RICH, President and CEO, RAND Corporation (2012–2022)

“Robert Klitgaard leaps above the microscopic orientation of most policy

analyses. He trounces policy advocacy masquerading as objective analysis. If you seek to address major issues confronting our world with insight, take heed of the themes, principles, and approaches Klitgaard

outlines.”

—RICHARD ZECKHAUSER, Frank P. Ramsey Professor of Political Economy, Harvard University

“Over a prolific career that has tackled some of the wickedest of policy problems, Bob Klitgaard has demonstrated a remarkable ability to distil complexity into insight and to serve up the result with energizing clarity.”

—KARTHIK RAMANNA, Professor of Business and Public Policy, University of Oxford!