Kosar, Kevin R. “Edward C. Banfield’s Government Project.” Public Administration Review 69, no. 5 (September/October 2009): 938–940.

Kevin R. Kosar revisits Edward C. Banfield’s Government Project, highlighting how Banfield’s detailed case study of a New Deal cooperative farm at Casa Grande illustrates fundamental challenges in public administration and the limits of government planning. Kosar argues that despite the government’s earnest and efficient efforts to improve settlers’ material conditions, the project ultimately failed because it underestimated the difficulties of fostering genuine cooperation among individuals. By reframing Government Project as a cautionary yet insightful classic, Kosar shows how Banfield’s analysis still offers valuable lessons about the interplay of human behavior and administrative action.

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