Data and evidence don’t lie—but for too long, our policy makers haven’t paid them nearly enough attention.

In 2014, an all-star team of leaders and thinkers from across the political spectrum came together to propose an exciting new vision for the country—one where policy makers base decisions not on politics or expedience, but on the hard evidence of what really works. The first edition of Moneyball for Government did more than just spark conversations; it spurred meaningful action. Now, Michael Gerson and Raj Shah join the second edition of the book, as they explain a variety of ways to apply this revolution of rigor to foreign assistance. For anyone who believes that government must do better for America’s children and their families, Moneyball for Government is a home run.

Jim Nussle (Editor), Peter Orszag (Editor), Senator Kelly Ayotte (Author), Senator Mark Warner (Author), Glenn Hubbard (Author), Gene Sperling (Author), Melody Barnes (Author), John Bridgeland (Author), Kevin Madden (Author), Howard Wolfson (Author), Michael Gerson (Author), Raj Shah (Author)




“The age old question is how do you not just treat the symptoms but tackle the underlying causes and actually solve problems. Too often we have taken the easy path of just providing money and then measure success by the amount spent. Dr. Raj Shah and Michael Gerson use their experience to plot a path forward for continued, successful foreign assistance that should serve as a guide for lawmakers, future administrations and public and private organizations as we seek to leverage funds for the best outcomes and assess the impact. We need to build on the incredible results achieved, and continue the success story that members on both sides of the aisle can support.”
— U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR)




“There is no one better than Michael Gerson and Raj Shah to examine and explain the revolution of rigor in foreign aid. Gerson and Shah are two of America’s best grounded and most creative leaders in the ongoing efforts to reinvent foreign development assistance into a data-driven, results-oriented success worthy of bipartisan support. From AIDS to Ebola, from the innovations of PEPFAR and the Millennium Challenge Corporation to Feed the Future and DIV, both authors have a wealth of personal experience and considerable insights. Gerson and Shah have practiced the art of partnership – with a new generation of impact investors, innovative faith and NGO leaders, and social entrepreneurs – and from their experiences they point our hopes towards a new era where focused strategies designed to achieve measurable outcomes promise to make U.S. foreign assistance less political, more effective, and as fiscally sound as it is morally compelling.”

—U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE)