Common Sense Government
Works Better and Costs Less
Published on 20. October 2010
352 pages
978-0-307-75715-9 (ISBN)
Description
The federal government is ailing and needs a cure. The cure lies in embracing a principle long known to the American people but little recognized by Washington-until now: common sense.
In this pathbreaking report, Vice President Al Gore, presiding over the National Performance Review, at the request of President Clinton, charts a fundamental shift in how government conducts itself. This report understands that a government that recognizes who its real customers are, works with them to understand their needs, and puts them first, not last, is a government that deserves to govern.
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10/1995
Random House USA Inc
€37.48
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Person
Former vice president Al Gore is co-founder and chairman of both Generation Investment Management and Current TV. He is also a senior partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and a member of Apple Inc.'s board of directors. Gore spends the majority of his time as chairman of The Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit devoted to solving the climate crisis. Gore was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives four times and the U.S. Senate twice. He served eight years as vice president. He authored the bestsellers Earth in the Balance, An Inconvenient Truth, The Assault on Reason, Our Choice, and The Future. He is a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Foreword by President Bill Clinton
- Acknowledgments
- Contents
- Introduction by Philip K. Howard
- Overview
- Calling in the Real Experts
- There's a Wrong Way and a Right Way
- Reclaiming Government "For the People"
- Delivering the Goods at Last
- It's Never Finished
- Chapter 1 - A Government That Makes Sense
- The Real Business of Government
- Americans Want a Government That Works Better, Costs Less
- Why We Have a Federal Government
- How Things Got Out of Hand
- Failing to Change with a Changing World
- Going by the Book
- Re-creating Common Sense Government
- Chapter 2 - Getting Results
- Results, Not Rules
- What Americans Want: Fewer Rules, More Sense
- It's Not So Much the "What" as the "How"
- Get Rid of Bad Rules and Make Good Ones Easier to Understand
- Make It Easier for Us to Do What Needs to Be Done
- Assume We're Honest, Not Dishonest
- Intelligent, Not Stupid
- The Results: Working Better and Costing Less
- Progress Report: Cutting Obsolete Regulations, Pointless Paperwork
- Progress Report: Rewarding Results, Not Red Tape
- Progress Report: Getting Out of Washington, Creating Partnerships
- Progress Report: Negotiating, Not Dictating
- The Road Ahead
- Chapter 3 - Putting Customers First
- The Service Revolution
- What Americans Say Good Service Means
- Ask Us What We Want
- Don't Tell Us "That's Not My Department"
- Treat Us with Courtesy, Respect . and Enthusiasm
- Make It Easy
- Provide Reliable, Timely Help
- The Results: A Government That Serves
- Progress Report: Asking and Listening
- Progress Report: Establishing Customer Service Standards
- Progress Report: Benchmarking the Best in Business
- Progress Report: Using Technology to Serve Customers Better
- Progress Report: Measuring and Rewarding Service
- The Road Ahead
- Chapter 4 - Getting Our Money's Worth
- What Americans Want: A Businesslike Government
- Stop Doing Unnecessary Things
- Buy Smart
- Hold Government Accountable
- The Results: A Smaller, Better, Faster, Cheaper Government
- Progress Report: Reducing, Eliminating, Spinning Off Programs
- Progress Report: Using Best Management Practices
- Progress Report: Measuring and Benchmarking the Best in Business
- Progress Report: Partnering with Business
- Progress Report: Selling Obsolete Inventory
- The Road Ahead
- More Measurement, More Accountability
- More Competition, More Privatization
- Chapter 5 - Conclusion
- Making "Good Enough for Government Work" Mean "Best"-Again
- A Matter of Trust
- Personal Responsibility
- Notes
- Appendices
- Appendix A - Status of Major Recommendations by Agency
- Appendix B - Status of Major Recommendations Affecting Governmental Systems
- Appendix C - New Recommendations by Agency
- Appendix D - Regulatory Reform Efforts
- Appendix E - Summary of Savings to Date
- Appendix F - Presidential and Congressional Actions Taken
- Additional Resources
- About the Author
- Copyright
