1st Edition

Political Storms and the Federal Workforce How Volatile Environments Alter Career Choices

By Susannah Bruns Ali Copyright 2025
214 Pages 10 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

214 Pages 10 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Under today’s divisive political rhetoric with direct assaults on agencies and career employees, practitioners and academics need to evaluate the impacts of working in contentious political environments. Encouraging a healthy discourse on what it means to work in a politicized agency, Susannah Bruns Ali uses archival research paired with semi- structured interviews to present a comprehensive view... Read more

Preface.  Chapter 1: Politics, Bureaucracy and Turnover  Chapter 2: Turnover in Analytic Perspective: A Synthesis of Research Traditions and Careerist Thoughts  Chapter 3: The Story of Four Agencies: Archival Methods and Approaches  Chapter 4: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  Chapter 5: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)  Chapter 6: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  Chapter 7: National Institutes of Health (NIH)  Chapter 8: Archival Conclusions – Comparing the Agencies  Chapter 9: Incorporating the Political World into our Understanding.  Final Observations.  Appendix 1: Interview Questions

 

Biography

Susannah Bruns Ali is an associate professor at the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs of Florida International University. Before returning to academia, she worked as a Policy Analyst at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where she collaborated with the White House, Congress, various federal government agencies, and advocacy groups. She has received several awards, including Presidential Management Fellowship, Presidential Letter of Commendation, the DHHS Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service, Human Services awards from the State of Maryland, and the American University John D. Young Award for scholarship, leadership, and commitment to public service.