ABSTRACT
Not long ago, designing the structure of a new government organization-or a business organization, for that matter-was a fairly simple matter. Although people might disagree about things such as who should report to whom, how many layers there ought to be between the boss and the lowest-level worker, and whether it was better to organize around process or place or function, the basic template was seldom in dispute. The finished organization would resemble a pyramid, wide at the base and narrow at the top. And inside the pyramid, the sinews of the organization would reflect the military principles of command and control. Authority would emanate clearly and invariably from the top of the structure. Orders would cascade down the chain of command like water down a mountainside, from agency head to bureau chief to midlevel manager to frontline worker.
