In the Cross Fire: A Political History of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
William J. Vizzard| | | ISBN: 978-1-55587-671-5 $65.00 |
1997/228 pages/LC: 96-48456
Explorations in Public Policy |
DESCRIPTION
In the aftermath of Ruby Ridge and Waco, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has become one of the most controversial of government agencies. Yet, despite the headlines and congressional hearings, little has been written about the history and organizational culture of the bureau.
William Vizzard draws both on his 27 years of insider experience as a special agent and manager and on the tools of organizational theory to trace the creation, structure, and historical development of the bureau. With a perspective that is further informed by direct interviews with all the former directors of the bureau, as well as former Treasury officials and members of key interest and lobbying groups, he considers how the ATF has evolved as a product of its political environment, the tasks it has been assigned, and its organizational culture. In engaging prose, Vizzard explores the bureau's ups and downs, the conditions that were a prelude to Waco, the ensuing time of turmoil, and the prospects and problems that lie ahead.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
William J. Vizzard is professor emeritus of criminal justice at the California State University, Sacramento. Before receiving his doctorate, he spent 29 years in law enforcement, serving in the ATF from 1967 to 1994 as an agent, supervisor, program manager, and special agent in charge.
CONTENTS
- Origins.
- Law and Jurisdiction.
- A Radical Change in Mission.
- The Quiet Years.
- Centralization.
- Mergers and Reorganization.
- Recovery.
- Managing the Good Times.
- Preludes to Waco.
- Clouds on the Horizon.
- Changing Political Stakes.
- Waco.
- The Aftermath.
- An Uncertain Future.
"This is an important study of public administration and of the failures of organization. When one has read it, one asks not only why Waco happened but also why there were not more such fiascoes."—Choice
"Consistent and powerfully convincing.... balanced, professional expertise characterizes the book. The scholarship is well grounded and at the cutting edge in its application. A definitive history of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, this is at the same time an expertly informed organizational and policy analysis. In the Cross Fire adds enormously to our knowledge of the political dynamics of the bureau as well as major concerns such as the Waco disaster."—Chester A. Newland