Legacy of Mayor Anthony Williams

This book examines the leadership of former Washington, DC Mayor Anthony Williams during his tenure in the office from 1998 to 2006. The first purpose of this book is to provide an analytical tool for effective mayoral leadership that will be appropriate for the unique characteristics of Washington, DC, which may also be applicable to other jurisdictions that have similar issues. The second purpose is to address the gap in academic analysis with a specific focus on political leadership at the mayoral level. The book therefore proffers the hypothesis that the performance of a scientific study with a specific focus on the issue of mayoral leadership within Washington, DC will increase the probability of effective mayoral leadership in the future.

This methodologically and theoretically well-grounded book on former Washington, DC Mayor Anthony Williams is a welcomed addition to the very small number of scholarly works on the Nation's Capital. The effulgence of the book hinges upon how secondary and primary data sources are marshaled into a coherent unity to explicate Williams as a man and his work as a quite skilled administrator, the challenges with which he had to contend notwithstanding. The book is a must read for every undergraduate or graduate student, professor, and practitioner in the fields of American State and Local Government and Public Policy and Administration.

Ray M. Crawford is executive director for strategic planning and reporting within the Office of Federal Student Aid at the US Department of Education.