Good Government Book Club to Explore “Why Nothing Works” – Maryland Association of Counties

Report on the MACo Winter Conference Book Club Initiative

Introduction

The Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) will convene its “Good Government” Book Club during the Winter Conference scheduled for December 10-12, 2025. The conference, themed “Local Leadership, Lasting Impact: Shaping What’s Next,” provides a platform for public officials to analyze contemporary challenges in governance. This session is designed to foster dialogue on enhancing institutional effectiveness, a cornerstone for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Featured Publication Analysis: “Why Nothing Works”

The selected text for discussion is Why Nothing Works by Marc J. Dunkelman. The book investigates the concept of a “vetocracy,” a systemic paralysis that hinders progress on critical societal issues. This analysis directly confronts the obstacles to achieving several key SDGs by examining the root causes of inaction on:

• Infrastructure Deficits: A challenge central to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), which calls for building resilient, sustainable, and quality infrastructure.
• Housing Shortages: A critical barrier to fulfilling SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), specifically Target 11.1 regarding access to adequate and affordable housing.
• Climate Crisis: An existential threat addressed by SDG 13 (Climate Action), which requires decisive and effective governmental action.

The book’s core argument—that institutional gridlock erodes public trust and impedes the delivery of essential services—provides a critical framework for evaluating progress toward SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The book club initiative is strategically aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The discussion will provide a forum for local leaders to explore solutions that advance the following goals:

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The session directly addresses the need to develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions (Target 16.6) by dissecting the causes of governmental paralysis and exploring pathways to restore public confidence and institutional efficacy.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: By focusing on solutions to housing and infrastructure challenges, the discussion will contribute to strategies for creating inclusive, safe, and resilient local communities.
3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The conference and this sponsored book club serve as a model for multi-stakeholder partnerships, bringing together public sector leaders and private sector partners to enhance governance capacity.

Event Details and Participation

• Event: MACo Winter Conference
• Session: “Good Government” Book Club
• Date: December 10-12, 2025
• Location: Hyatt Regency Chesapeake, Dorchester County, Maryland
• Participation Incentive: To encourage thorough preparation, a complimentary copy of Why Nothing Works will be provided to the first 20 conference attendees who register for the book club discussion.

Sponsorship and Partnership

This initiative is supported through a partnership with J.P. Morgan. This sponsorship exemplifies a commitment to strengthening public sector leadership and governance, aligning with the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by leveraging private sector support to build capacity for achieving sustainable development objectives.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  The article directly references the historical success of building a “vast electrical grid, interstate highways” and contrasts it with the current challenge of a “dilapidated infrastructure.” This highlights the core themes of SDG 9, which focuses on building and maintaining resilient infrastructure.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The mention of a “housing shortage” as one of the pressing challenges America faces directly connects to SDG 11. This goal aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, with a key focus on ensuring access to adequate and affordable housing.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article explicitly names a “climate crisis” as a major issue that the country feels “stuck” and “unable to move the needle” on. This directly aligns with SDG 13, which calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The central theme of the book discussed, “Why Nothing Works,” focuses on governmental paralysis, “gridlock,” and “pummeled faith in public institutions.” This is directly related to SDG 16, which seeks to build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels and restore confidence in government.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  1. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being. The article’s reference to a “dilapidated infrastructure,” including rail and highways, points to a failure to maintain the quality and reliability of essential infrastructure, which is the focus of this target.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  1. Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services. The article’s identification of a “housing shortage” as a key national challenge directly corresponds to the goal of this target.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  1. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article’s description of being “stuck” and unable to address the “climate crisis” implies a lack of effective integration of climate action into national planning, which this target aims to achieve.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  1. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The book’s synopsis discusses how government is unable to “get stuff done” due to gridlock, which speaks to a lack of institutional effectiveness, a core component of this target.
  2. Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The article mentions a “vetocracy that allows nearly anyone to stifle progress” and a need to “restore, once again, confidence in democratically elected government,” highlighting issues with the responsiveness and representativeness of the decision-making process.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official quantitative indicators, but it implies several qualitative measures of progress based on the problems it describes:

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  • An implied indicator is the state and quality of national infrastructure. The article suggests a negative trend by describing infrastructure as “dilapidated,” which could be measured by assessments of roads, bridges, and the electrical grid.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  • The existence of a “housing shortage” is an implied indicator. Progress could be measured by the availability and affordability of housing for the population.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  • An implied indicator is the perceived effectiveness of government action on the climate crisis. The article suggests this is currently very low, as the nation is “unable to move the needle.”

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  • The article implies the indicator of public trust in government institutions. The phrase “pummeled faith in public institutions” suggests that this measure is low.
  • Another implied indicator is the level of political gridlock and government effectiveness. The article’s central theme of “Why Nothing Works” and the mention of a “vetocracy” point to this as a key measure of institutional performance.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators’ to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: conduitstreet.mdcounties.org