This book investigates whether the Environmental Protection Agency has fundamentally misunderstood its role and efficacy within the framework of American constitutional democracy. The authors, Marc J. Roberts, Marc K. Landy, and Stephen R. Thomas, utilize a series of representative case studies to evaluate the agency's performance from its inception under the Nixon administration through the early years of the Clinton presidency. By challenging the prevailing premises that have historically distorted environmental policy debates, the authors argue for a more rigorous approach to governance that aligns administrative action with democratic accountability.

Experts and political scientists frequently cite this work as a foundational critique of administrative overreach and policy formulation within the EPA. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of the institutional challenges facing modern regulatory agencies.