Solving Public Problems: A Practical Guide to Fix Our Government and Change Our World

The good news: most of us dream of world peace. The bad news: for every successful social entrepreneur, there are thousands of inactive citizens. And meanwhile, we all have the power to make public institutions effective, equal and legitimate, but we often just don‘t know how to do it. Beth Noveck, consultant to dozens of governments and public institutions, draws readers‘ attention to societal problems that have no obvious universal solution - systemic racism, underdeveloped or inaccessible medicine, unemployment, the enormous gap between rich and poor, climate change - that cannot be solved alone. She details the tools with which we can organize, find like-minded people, and work together to make a difference. She shows how to take advantage of digital technology, big data, artificial intelligence, and collective knowledge to and implement effective solutions to today‘s problems. Another important theme Beth Noveck raises is the huge chasm between failing state institutions and social entrepreneurs around the world doing incredible things. She offers a radical rethinking of the role of the public servant and his skills, and analyzes ways to bridge this chasm. The book is replete with practical advice for public officials, public figures, and simply active citizens on how to become more productive and equitable leaders, engage people in solving global problems, give them more power, and finally fix the troubled world of the twenty-first century. Translated with DeepL.com/Translator (free version)