Not Accountable

In Not Accountable, Common Good Chair Philip Howard argues that public employee unions have undermined democratic governance and should be unconstitutional. American voters elect governors and mayors who, under union agreements, have been disempowered from managing schools, police departments, and other public agencies. This is why schools can’t work, bad cops can’t be fired, states struggle under the weight of unaffordable pensions, and frustrated voters reach for extremist solutions. Politicians can’t break the union stranglehold because, among other reasons, they’ve sold their souls for union political support.

In this searing five-point indictment, Philip makes a case that constitutional government can’t work when elected leaders lose control over public operating machinery. The Constitution requires a “republican form of government” where elected executives are empowered to run government operations. Under the Constitution, public employees have a duty to serve the public, not organize politically to harm the public.

Not Accountable was published by Rodin Books on January 24, 2023. Read their press release here.

• Philip K. Howard, “Why Government Unions—Unlike Trade Unions—Corrupt Democracy,” TIME, April 4, 2023.

• David Lewis Schaefer, “Unfireable Offenders,” The Washington Free Beacon, April 2, 2023

• The Steve Hilton Show podcast, “The Philip K. Howard Interview,” March 30, 2023

• Beg to Differ with Mona Charen podcast, “Is Accountability Dead?,” The Bulwark, March 24, 2023 (printed excerpt: “A Constitutional Remedy for the Ills of Public-Sector Unions,” The Bulwark, March 27, 2023)

• The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg podcast, “Teacher’s Pest,” The Dispatch, March 22, 2023

• Journal Editorial Report, “The Destructive Force of Public Unions,” Fox News, March 18, 2023 (interview by Paul Gigot)

• John Ketcham, “‘Not Accountable’ Review: Unelected Legislators,” The Wall Street Journal, March 14, 2023

• Jonathan Alter, “How to Make Government Work Again,” Old Goats, March 10, 2023

• Brendan Clarey, “Chicago School Principals Can Now Unionize. Critics Say That’s Not Good Policy,” Chalkboard Review, March 9, 2023

• America at Night podcast, March 9, 2023 (interview by Rich Valdés)

• A.W. Maldonado, “Puerto Rico Was Ruined by Public Unions,” South Florida Sun Sentinel, March 5, 2023

• Mene Ukueberuwa, “Public Unions vs. the People,” The Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2023

• Philip Howard, “The Public-Union Spoils System,” National Review, March 2, 2023 (Not Accountable excerpt; also appears in the March 20, 2023 print edition)

• Jonathan Leaf and Daniel Kennelly, “Hollywood As Character,” City Journal, March 2, 2023

• HubWonk podcast, “Public Union Constitutionality: Returning Government Accountability to the People,” February 28, 2023 (interview by Joe Selvaggi)

• Caroline Banaszak, “Not Accountable,” The Ripon Forum, February 2023

• Quin Hillyer, “For Better Infrastructure, ‘Czar’ Mitch Landrieu Wants Fewer Stovepipes,” Washington Examiner, February 23, 2023

• Radio Free California podcast, National Review, February 23, 2023 (interview by Will Swaim; starts at 1:00:26)

• Potomac Watch podcast, “How Public Unions Undermine Effective Government,” The Wall Street Journal, February 20, 2023 (interview by Paul Gigot)

• Jace Lington, “Collective Manipulation,” The American Conservative, February 18, 2023

• Joe Klein, “Not Accountable,” Sanity Clause, February 17, 2023

• David Freddoso, “Imagine There’s No Public Employee Unions,” Washington Examiner, February 16, 2023

• Dan Janison, “Cop and Teacher Unions: Forever Entrenched?” Newsday, February 16, 2023

• The Political Mike podcast, February 16, 2023 (interview by Michael Taylor)

• Newt’s World podcast, “Rethinking Public Employee Unions,” February 14, 2023 (interview by Newt Gingrich)

• American Enterprise Institute, “Not Accountable: A Conversation with Philip K. Howard,” February 13, 2023 (forum moderated by Robert Doar)

• Newt Gingrich, “Current American Government Monstrosity Attacks Freedoms,” The Washington Times, February 13, 2023

• Philip Howard, “Public Unions Are Hurting Illinois,” Chicago Tribune, February 8, 2023

• George Will, “Policing and Government Itself, How Public Employee Unions Damage Schools, Policing and Government Itself,” The Washington Post, February 8, 2023

• Mary Williams Walsh, “All You Need,” Political News Items, February 7, 2023

• Howard Husock, “Public Sector Unions Under the Microscope, ” The New York Sun, February 1, 2023

• Mona Charen, “Getting Serious About Police Reform,” The Bulwark, February 1, 2023

• Angela McArdle, “Will Tyre Nichols’ death bring police reform? Police unions stand in the way of change.” USA Today, February 1, 2023

• Philip Howard, “The Liberal Case Against Public Unions,” The Daily Beast, January 30, 2023

• Steven Greenhut, “Public Employee Unions Are Obstacle to Urban Progress,” Pacific Research Institute, January 30, 2023

• Philip Howard, “Public Unions vs. the Public Good,” Reason, January 26, 2023 (Not Accountable excerpt)

• C-SPAN, “Q&A,” January 25, 2023 (interview by Susan Swain)

• Steven Malanga, “Philip Howard’s Endgame,” City Journal, January 25, 2023

• Michael Barone, “Are public employee unions unconstitutional?” Washington Examiner, January 25, 2023

• Competitive Enterprise Institute, “Not Accountable: Rethinking the Constitutionality of Public Employee Unions,” January 25, 2023 (forum moderated by Kent Lassman)

• The New Criterion, “The Critic’s Notebook,” January 24, 2023

• Gray Matters podcast, “Do Public Sector Unions Make Government Unaccountable?,” Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State, January 24, 2023 (interview by Adam White and Jace Lington)

• Mark Pulliam, “Ending the Stranglehold of Public Employee Unions,” Law & Liberty, January 23, 2023

• The Orange County Register, “The Tyranny of Public Sector Unions,” January 22, 2023

• The Federalist Society, “Book Review: NOT Accountable, by Philip Howard (Part One),” January 3, 2023; “Part Two,” January 4, 2023

• The Steve Hilton Show podcast, “The Philip K. Howard Interview,” March 30, 2023

• Beg to Differ with Mona Charen podcast, “Is Accountability Dead?,” The Bulwark, March 24, 2023 (printed excerpt: “A Constitutional Remedy for the Ills of Public-Sector Unions,” The Bulwark, March 27, 2023)

• The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg podcast, “Teacher’s Pest,” The Dispatch, March 22, 2023

• Journal Editorial Report, “The Destructive Force of Public Unions,” Fox News, March 18, 2023 (interview by Paul Gigot)

• Jonathan Alter, “How to Make Government Work Again,” Old Goats, March 10, 2023

• Brendan Clarey, “Chicago School Principals Can Now Unionize. Critics Say That’s Not Good Policy,” Chalkboard Review, March 9, 2023

• America at Night podcast, March 9, 2023 (interview by Rich Valdés)

• Mene Ukueberuwa, “Public Unions vs. the People,” The Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2023

• HubWonk podcast, “Public Union Constitutionality: Returning Government Accountability to the People,” February 28, 2023 (interview by Joe Selvaggi)

• Radio Free California podcast, National Review, February 23, 2023 (interview by Will Swaim; starts at 1:00:26)

• Potomac Watch podcast, “How Public Unions Undermine Effective Government,” The Wall Street Journal, February 20, 2023 (interview by Paul Gigot)

• David Freddoso, “Imagine There’s No Public Employee Unions,” Washington Examiner, February 16, 2023

• The Political Mike podcast, February 16, 2023 (interview by Michael Taylor)

• Newt’s World podcast, “Rethinking Public Employee Unions,” February 14, 2023 (interview by Newt Gingrich)

• American Enterprise Institute, “Not Accountable: A Conversation with Philip K. Howard,” February 13, 2023 (forum moderated by Robert Doar)

• Mary Williams Walsh, “All You Need,” Political News Items, February 7, 2023

• Steven Greenhut, “Public Employee Unions Are Obstacle to Urban Progress,” Pacific Research Institute, January 30, 2023

• Rachel Koning Beals, “Tyre Nichols, George Floyd and Police Brutality: Time for a Public-Union Reckoning?” MarketWatch, January 27, 2023

• C-SPAN, “Q&A,” January 25, 2023 (interview by Susan Swain)

• Michael Barone, “Are public employee unions unconstitutional?” Washington Examiner, January 25, 2023

• Competitive Enterprise Institute, “Not Accountable: Rethinking the Constitutionality of Public Employee Unions,” January 25, 2023 (forum moderated by Kent Lassman)

• Gray Matters podcast, “Do Public Sector Unions Make Government Unaccountable?,” Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State, January 24, 2023 (interview by Adam White and Jace Lington)

• “David Webb Show,” SiriusXM Patriot, January 24, 2023