The Big Con: How the Consulting Industry Weakens Our Businesses, Infantilizes Our Governments, and Warps Our Economies—review

From the Dossier

Entry 22 of 26. Section C: Independent and academic assessments. Back to the Dossier

Summary

Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington’s book argues that public-sector overreliance on McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and the Big Four erodes government capacity and accountability. In 2021, the consulting industry was valued at over $900 billion, a ninefold rise since 1999. The book argues this reliance “harms public interest, disables governments, and threatens democracy”. The argument relies on consilience, meaning many converging cases.

Source description

An academic review of economist Mariana Mazzucato and researcher Rosie Collington’s book-length argument that public-sector overreliance on McKinsey, BCG, Bain, EY, PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, and Accenture erodes government capacity and accountability. The review credits the authors’ research (UK public consulting spending rose roughly fortyfold from 1979 to 1990) while noting the book’s proposed remedies (mandatory conflict-of-interest disclosure, rebuilding in-house public-sector capability) as the more actionable takeaway.

Credibility assessment

The LSE Review of Books provides academic-level review. Under Rule 4, the book’s argument operates at the consilience level, appropriate for a paradigm-level claim about systemic effects. The review notes the book’s proposed remedies (mandatory conflict-of-interest disclosure, rebuilding in-house public-sector capability) as the more actionable takeaway.