Government efficiency is about whether public programs reach their goals at a reasonable cost, and how government finds out. It covers measuring results, using evidence and data to make decisions, spotting waste and improper spending, and changing how agencies work. Agencies, Congress, auditors, and outside researchers all take part, and people often disagree about what counts as efficient.
An independent team explaining how government works
The United States federal government employs over two million civilian workers, making it the nation's largest employer. For veterans, recent graduates, and mid-career professionals interested in…
President Donald Trump wrote his party's leaders in the Senate: "It is now time for the Republicans to play their 'TRUMP CARD,'" he wrote, "and go…
The Trump administration made changes to federal programs, offices, and initiatives between January and September 2025. The changes affected multiple policy areas including health care, environment,…
Every month, federal agencies release a flood of statistics that shape decisions from Wall Street to Main Street. The Federal Reserve uses these numbers to set…
Evidence-based Policymaking covers using research to choose policies, and Data-Driven Decision-making covers using statistics and records in everyday government choices.
Performance Management covers setting goals and tracking progress, and Program Evaluation covers studies of whether a program worked.
Government Reform covers efforts to restructure or improve how government operates.
The National Environmental Policy Act may sound like bureaucratic jargon, but this 50+ year-old law gives ordinary Americans extraordinary power over federal projects that…
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States undertook its most significant government reorganization in over half a century. The new Department of…
When do sanctions succeed, and when do they backfire? This analysis examines how the U.S. sanctions system operates, who controls it, and what happens…
Deregulation involves the deliberate removal or reduction of government rules and restrictions within specific industries. This process can only happen through legislation passed by…
The President's Management Agenda is the federal government's strategic plan for improving its own operations. It represents a presidential administration's formal vision for how…
Project 2025 proposed changes to federal agencies, presidential power, taxes and benefits, with distinct legal steps needed to put them into effect.
"Run government like a business" ranks among America's most popular political slogans. It sounds sensible - who doesn't want efficiency, fiscal discipline, and better…
Every American knows about the U.S. Census—that massive once-a-decade count that's been happening since 1790. Far fewer know about its powerful partner, the American…
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing, annual survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that serves as the nation's premier source for…
The United States government makes decisions worth trillions of dollars every year. Interest rates that affect your mortgage. Healthcare funding for millions of Americans.…
