Many Americans today view the government as the saviour of the environment. When it comes to protecting land, fish and wildlife, the common response is to let the government do it. The contributors to this work encourage the reader to consider government in a different light by looking at clear instances of public programmes that foster environmental destruction. They provide an in-depth look at how the political process can adversely impact the quality of our environment and argue that the government’s track record in managing natural resources has been and continues to be abysmal. The case studies should cause readers to think twice about the all-too-familiar calls for more government for the sake of the environment.