Re-Establishing Confidence in Government

THERE HAS BEEN IN RECENT YEARS A DANGEROUS EROSION IN CITIZEN CONFIDENCE IN THE INTEGRITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS. IT IS EASY TO ATTRIBUTE VOTER DISTRUST AND DISILLUSIONMENT TO WATERGATE AND ASSOCIATED SCANDALS AND ABUSES OF POWER. THERE IS A MUCH MORE PERVASIVE REASON WHY CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT HAS DECLINED IN RECENT YEARS - THE REPEATED INSTANCES IN WHICH GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED TO DO WHAT IT SET OUT TO ACCOMPLISH. WHAT THE PUBLIC WAS PROMISED OFTEN HAS NOT, IN FACT OCCURRED. THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH OUR SYSTEM PERMITS CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENCY TO BE IN THE HANDS OF DIFFERENT POLITICAL PARTIES HAS MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE CITIZEN TO FIX RESPONSIBILITY. ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANAGEMENT REFORMS MUST BE UNDERTAKEN TO SUBSTANTIALLY NARROW THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT GOVERNMENT SETS OUT TO DO AND WHAT IT ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHES.