The Performance and Management of United States Federal Government Corporations

Abstract

The Federal Government’s production of goods and services has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, as regulatory reform and constraints on federal budget expenditures have begun to take hold in the far corners of government. Although there is less public enterprise in the United States than in the United Kingdom or Canada, the scale and scope of operations of the Federal companies are still considerable. Their size and strategic importance make the case for an evaluation of the public nature of their operations. Where poor results follow because the government is the producer, then reform policy should center on divestiture of these federal organizations.

With the material assistance of Taj Bindra, Patricia L. Gray, Eric Leavitt, Gordon A. Rogers, and Jeffrey Ryan, all Olin Fellows at the W.E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration.