to the unelected officials – exists only on paper. Ask environment by prolonging polluting bottlenecks. They why something isn’t working sensibly, and the answer is also more than double the cost of infrastructure projects. typically this: “The rule made me do it.” Ask why the The solution is not to get rid of environmental reviews, but rules need to be so rigid, and the answer is that, otherwise, do what countries like Germany do — empower officials “someone will claim a decision violates their rights.” to make the decisions needed to stick to a one to two year Better leadership cannot solve this flaw, because new permitting process. ideas and values sink in the legal quicksand. As paper - Small business cannot possibly keep track of, much covers rock, law supplants leadership. The cure is not less comply with, thousands of requirements. One report (mainly) de-regulation, but re-regulation. It’s time to press found that an apple farm in New York State was subject the reset button. Dense bureaucracies must be replaced to 5,000 rules from 17 different regulatory programs. The by simpler frameworks that focus on goals. Bureaucratic solution is not to eliminate protection of, say, clean apples, detail must be replaced by but to create a simpler oversight clear lines of authority and mechanism that focuses on accountability. public goals. Reboot Washington. - Revamping police forces Pruning the red tape jungle, is all but impossible. Because as we’ve learned in the last of union collective bargaining 50 years, will achieve almost agreements, the Chief of Police nothing. The paralytic in Minneapolis had no authority bureaucracies built since the to terminate, or even reassign, 1960s must be replaced by Derek Chauvin, despite laws that people can actually numerous complaints about his understand, implemented abuse of power. The protesters by officials whom citizens who took to the streets after can identify and hold the killing of George Floyd accountable. Law can provide seem to think that some official the goals and framework for is refusing to push the right decisions, but people on the buttons. But bureaucracy has spot must have the freedom made officials powerless. Ditto to roll up their sleeves and for almost all public agencies. Philip K. Howard take responsibility. Remaking government Public demand is there. on a human scale, leaving Two-thirds of Americans room for responsibility and Democracy isn’t working favor “major structural accountability, will honor core changes” in government, precepts of good government. because bureaucracy is in according to a 2019 Law will regain its role of charge, not the leaders University of Chicago poll. protecting an open field of elected by voters. What’s missing in the current freedom, not supplanting political debate is a coherent freedom with detailed dictates vision for a new public of how to make daily decisions. operating system. Filling Simpler goal-oriented codes that vacuum holds the promise of uniting most Americans. will promote practical solutions and allow officials Every segment of society is dragged down by and citizens to honor, as Friedrich Hayek put it, “the bureaucratic rigidity: circumstances of time and place.” Instead of dictating rote - Upwards of 30% of the healthcare dollar goes to compliance, codes that focus on outcomes will empower administration. That’s a trillion dollars, or $1 million per communities to provide services in their own ways. doctor. Doctors spend two hours on desk work for every Americans can make a difference again. Americans can one hour with patients. innovate again. - Schools are choking on a tangle of red tape and Rebooting legacy bureaucracies will require legal entitlements. Almost half the states have more non- overcoming powerful forces of the status quo, however. instructional personnel than teachers, many trying to keep Instead of broadly attacking government — which track of bureaucratic requirements. Teachers have lost guarantees stalemate and polarization — a platform to the authority to maintain order. Principals have lost the reboot Washington can focus public demand on three authority to manage teachers. concrete reforms: - Lengthy environmental reviews often harm the 1. Create “spring cleaning commissions.” Nonpartisan RIPON FORUM July 2021
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