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BETTER, NOT SMALLER: WHAT AMERICANS WANT FROM
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
RUY TEIXEIRA CENTURY FOUNDATION, CENTER FOR AMERICAN
PROGRESS
JUNE 21, 2012
HARTRESEARCHA S S O T E SC I A
Better, Not Smaller:What Americans Want from
Federal Government
3
Lowest Rating On Record For Confidence In Federal Government
Confidence in Federal Government to Solve Problems
Millennials44% a lot/some20% none
4
Government Is Doing Too Much
Millennials49% should do more46% doing too much
5
But Government Should Also Do More
Developing new, clean energy
sources
Improving public schools
Making college affordable
Reducing poverty
Ensuring access to affordable health
care
Want More Federal Government Involvement in Various AreasAll adults Millennials
6
Improving Government Performance More Important Than Reducing Size
MillennialsAll adults
Priority for Improving Federal Government Improve efficiency and effectiveness Reduce size of federal government
81%62%41%
82%69%45%
58%76%79%
DemocratsIndependentsRepublicans
Liberal/progressiveModerateConservative/libertarian
WhitesHispanicsAfrican Americans
Improve Efficiency
7
Millennials And Non-Millennials: Improving Government More Important Than Shrinking It
DemocratsIndependentsRepublicans
White non-college graduatesWhite college graduates
Millennials
83%70%56%
71%64%
% who select improving efficiency/effectiveness of gov’t over reducing its size
Non-Millennials
80%60%36%
53%60%
Difference
+3+10+20
+18 +4
9
Government Could Be More Effective
Possibility of Improving Federal Government Effectiveness
Could be more effective if better managed
Bound to be ineffective no matter what 74% of adults, including 66% of Millennials, say it is very important for President and Congress to take steps to improve effectiveness and efficiency of federal government.
All adults
Millennials
All adults
Millennials
10
“Doing What Works” Plan Core Components Seen As Effective
Eliminate inefficient government programs and redirect support to the most cost-effective programs
Carefully evaluate the performance of government programs and agencies and make this information available to the public
Have the government use the most modern management methods and information technologies
Would be very effective in making federal govt work better Would be fairly effective
71%
70%
60%
All adults
Millennials
All adults
Millennials
All adults
Millennials
72%
70%
62%
11
Specific Elements Of“Doing What Works” Plan
Require every federal agency to set clear goals that are measured by real-world resultsReform the federal budget process, so that spending decisions are based on objective evidence about what works and what does notMeasure and compare the performance of state actions in areas such as health care, education, and energy to identify what approaches work and what do not Consolidate federal programs where there is significant overlapChange the way government contracts are awarded, so officials can quickly and accurately determine the best contractor for the job
Effective*83%
82%
80%
79%
79%
Adults’ Ratings of Each as a Way to Improve Federal Government Performance
* Ratings on zero-to-ten scale: 6-10 = effective, 8-10 = highly effective
Highlyeffective*
68%
65%
58%
62%
60%