This article examines the outlook of Peter E Drucker toward the national government and public administrators in the United States. The main theme of this study is Drucker's belief that the federal government can become more effective by reducing its role as a problem solver and adopting a much diminished role as the arbiter of national purposes whose accomplishments would be left mainly to nongovernmental institutions and nonprofit organizations. The article covers three subjects: (a) Drucker's background, (b) his major allegations of deficiencies in the federal government and its civil servants, and (c) his vision of a goal-setting, environment-regulating role for this government sector.
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