Newsletter - July 2024

It has truly been an eventful month - from President Biden ending his reelection campaign, to the assassination attempt on former president Trump, and the recent Supreme Court decisions.

Trust in our elected leaders and in government institutions remains at an all-time low, and our democracy appears to be in a state of transition.

Regardless of the direction of our country, partnership between our elected officials and their constituents is critical to restoring trust, and critical to an effective and representative government.

The sixth of my eight good government principles is partnership with the public. Simply put, I am advocating for our elected officials to actively solicit input from their constituents and act on that input.

Voice of the People (VOP) is doing an outstanding job of promoting "partnership with the public", leveraging public consultation to identify bipartisan common ground on difficult problems facing our country.

Through Voice of the People Action, VOP is asking all congressional candidates, including current members of the House and Senate, to take their "Listen to the People pledge", which would compel candidates and elected officials to:

• Take into account the views of their constituents when voting on legislation

• Pay close attention to public consultation surveys and forums conducted with representative samples of their constituents

• Actively work to let their constituents know that they will listen to all the people they represent

Regardless of the results of this November's election and the specific direction of our country, there remains a huge opportunity to improve the effectiveness of Congress and our government. I am continuing discussions with a number of individuals and organizations to explore ways to tie many disparate and amazing efforts into a more cohesive approach to bring government effectiveness and accountability to the forefront of our Democracy.

This month's social media posts:

• Information about the ASQ Gov Connect webinar that provided an in depth look at the work of the Center for Electoral Quality and Integrity

• Brief comments on the assassination attempt on former President Trump

• Insightful article about trust in government and civic engagement

Have a great month.

Newsletter - June 2024

The fifth of my good government principles is "Account for Regional Differences".

One of the most important duties of Congress is to approve funding for all government activities and initiatives. Federal funding flows to states and local entities for a number of programs including Medicaid, public education, and elections. In conjunction with this funding process, Congress considers the latitude given to state and local governments in how federal funds can be used and the specific goals and/or desired outcomes associated with the allocated funds.

The regional differences principle closely complements the commitment to problem solving principle that I articulated in April. Effective problem solving requires defining the problem that needs to be solved, establishing and gaining consensus on clear and realistic objectives, and empowering those on the front line to execute solutions. Through the accounting for regional differences principle, I am advocating for a legislative approach that focuses heavily on providing states and localities with the funding and resources necessary to achieve clearly defined national objectives.

Here are a couple of examples that illustrate the regional differences principle:

Two years ago, I shared a framework for reducing gun violence. One of the key components of that proposal was establishing a national goal for gun violence reduction combined with funding and freedom for states and localities to employ regional approaches to address the problem.

My work on electoral quality and integrity has reinforced my belief in the importance of regional approaches to national "problems". According to Ballotpedia, "more than 10,000 local entities administer elections in the United States". Each "entity" or "board of elections" shares and supports the national goal of ensuring every eligible voter has a fair opportunity to cast their ballot while ensuring all votes have been accurately counted.

An additional benefit to this approach of legislating is that it facilitates the identification and sharing of best practices. When properly deployed, accompanied by the transparent sharing of data and experience, government officials and the public can learn about, promote, and implement successes from other localities and avoid mistakes that were made elsewhere.

Simply put, the "regional differences" principle advocates for Congress and the federal government to empower state and local governments with the funding, tools and infrastructure to support the achievement of national goals.

This month's social media posts:

• Washington Policy Center article summarizing national survey on voter attitudes about local versus federal government

• Jonah Goldberg article - Systemic Problems Need Local Solutions

• Investopedia article on Block Grants

• Information about the Center for Effective Lawmaking

Have a great month and a great Fourth of July holiday.

Newsletter - May 2024

My fourth good government principle is Respect for Opposing Views. Not only is this principle relevant to discourse with our friends, family, and acquaintances, but it's absolutely critical to governing. Regardless of which party is in charge, good and representative government requires incorporating feedback from across the aisle.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Opinion polls show that broad bipartisan majorities want Congress to work collaboratively to achieve solutions and pass legislation. And I don't expect that sentiment will change any time soon.

I firmly believe that regardless of who's in charge, our legislators should incorporate feedback from the other party. Even in landslide elections, two out of every five voters support the losing candidate. Incorporating feedback and ideas from the "other side of the aisle" fosters greater acceptance of resulting legislation and is a proven tactic of successful managers.

This article by Robert Half points out that incorporating differing opinions in the workplace can reduce risks by 30% while improving innovation by 20%. Although the article speaks to diversity in the workplace, a key takeaway that's relevant to Congress and to an effective government, is that incorporating a broad range of viewpoints and perspectives in legislation will promote new ideas and increase the productivity of Congress.

That conclusion was supported in a study published last year by the Center for Effective Lawmaking that found that effective lawmakers are willing to support well-thought-out proposals across the aisle, and in turn receive bipartisan support for their best policy solutions.

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This month I had the pleasure of attending the American Society's (ASQ) World Conference on Quality and Improvement, and was able to reconnect with some great people I have been working with in the Government Division. I came away from the conference reinvigorated by the great work that Quality professionals are doing to improve our government and to improve the countless other sectors represented by Quality professionals.

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This month's social media posts:

• Joint call by President Biden and Utah Governor Spencer Cox for less bitterness and more bipartisanship

• National Governor's Association Disagree Better Initiative

• Issue One article about Congressional Modernization

• Article noted above that speaks to bipartisanship as the secret sauce for effective lawmaking

Wishing you all a good Memorial Day. Thanks to all that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

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