President Trump issued Executive Order No. 13781 with the intent to “improve the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of the Executive Branch.”  The order directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to “propose a plan to reorganize governmental functions and eliminate unnecessary agencies.”  However, achieving significant reforms as envisioned by the President will require more than just the OMB and executive agencies’ efforts. Many of the President’s desired reforms will require buy-in from Congress – a process that will open the door to the special interests and political games the President sought to drain from the swamp.

In an effort to provide the OMB with its request for ideas for reform, The Heritage Foundation published two separate Blueprint for Reorganization reports. The first, An Analysis of Federal Departments and Agencies, contains bold and timely recommendations to downsize and reform the Executive Branch while the second, Pathways to Reform and Cross-Cutting Issues, discusses the problems of a cluttered and overgrown federal government, the history of executive branch reorganizations, various pathways for a successful reorganization, and recommendations for cross-cutting reforms – such as federal personnel, budget, and regulatory reforms – to help streamline and improve the federal government.

Join us for a panel discussion on what types of reforms are necessary for a more efficient, effective and accountable government as well as the pathways to achieving those results.

Donald Devine’s newest book, Political Management of the Bureaucracy: A Guide to Political Reform and Control, may be downloaded free of charge, or paperback editions may be purchased online.