Overview
Inspectors General: Duty, Authority, Integrity examines the firsthand experiences and insights of practitioners who work in an omnipresent yet little understood government watchdog institution, the Office of Inspector General (OIG). OIGs continuously monitor, and ensure accountability of public employees, contractors, and beneficiaries within their jurisdiction . Although OIGs were originally not found outside of military settings, since the mid-1970s, they are now an established part of most federal executive agencies in the United States, as well as of state and local governments; they are tasked with fighting waste, fraud, abuse and to improve the efficacy of Medicare, Medicaid among over a hundred other HHS programs. Yet most US Master of Public Administration programs, political science departments, and law schools do not teach about OIGs as an important mechanism of ethics, accountability and oversight. They are relatively understudied despite their ubiquitousness and impact. This book presents chapters authored by leading academics and practitioners to provide a comprehensive and in-depth overview of the institution, and its history, design, challenges, and successes. Inspectors General: Duty, Authority, Integrity is essential reading for those working in public administration or political science; legal scholars; government consultants; healthcare providers, and those who study public management, government accountability and oversight, democratic control of the executive branch, institutional design, and public agency performance. Faculty members would find it invaluable not only as a collection of academic research but also consider its use for master’s level and doctoral classes. Additionally, professionals in the world of federal, state, and local OIGs, compliance officers, as well as in positions of oversight generally, would have an interest in this book.
Full Product Details
Author: Robin J. Kempf (UCCS College of Public Service, USA)
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
Imprint: Emerald Publishing Limited
Dimensions:
Width: 15.60cm
, Height: 1.60cm
, Length: 23.40cm
Weight: 0.457kg
ISBN: 9781805928249
ISBN 10: 1805928244
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 13 March 2026
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
Visibility is vital to the work of OIG’s – we can’t do transparency work in secret, and no one is accountable if nobody’s looking. Kempf correctly observes that too little is known about inspectors general, and the book delivers a too-rare view into the critical work of oversight and the hearts and minds of the people doing it. -- Deborah Witzburg, Inspector General, City of Chicago Office of Inspector General, USA This book is a must-read for a new Inspector General and their staff. It is important to read the history of this exciting career and learn about the perils and path of those who paved the way. -- Isabel Mercedes Cumming, Inspector General, Baltimore City Office of the Inspector General, USA This powerful book makes the definitive case for why government oversight matters with insights from the best guardians of the public trust -- Will Fletcher, President, Association of Inspectors General, USA
Author Information
Robin J. Kempf Ph.D., JD, is an Associate Professor in the UCCS College of Public Service, Department of Public Administration, USA where she also serves as the Director of the MPA Program.
