Government and Politics

Government Continues, Un-Reinvented

Observers say the National Performance Review -- chaired by Vice President Gore and entrusted with reinventing government -- has little to show for its efforts. Many of the agencies lauded as success stories in the latest NPR report are under attack from government auditors for bad management.

  • While the report claims NPR has saved taxpayers $137 billion over the past four years, that figure must be compared to four annual government budgets -- each of which spent roughly $1.5 trillion.

  • The General Accounting Office says that once a savings estimate is prepared, over the years "it becomes difficult or impossible... to determine the validity of the original estimate."

  • The NPR has been criticized for claiming savings that don't even come from the kinds of changes it set out to make, or from efforts begun as long ago as the Reagan administration.

  • Many agencies cited for specific savings by NPR are still struggling with management basics, say the auditors.

These include the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Agriculture.

NPR claims concerning cuts in government personnel are suspect, since most jobs were in defense. Cato Institute budget expert Stephen Moore notes that due to very deep cuts in Defense Department employment, "Postal Service employment now exceeds civilian DOD employment for the first time since before World War II."

Also, job gains at other levels of government have more than offset losses at the federal level. The total government workforce is up 700,000 in the Clinton era. Overall, there are 1.2 million more government workers than manufacturing workers in the U.S.

Source: Jeff A. Taylor, "Reinvented Government or Repackaged?" Investor's Business Daily, November 19, 1997.

Home | Support Us | All Issues | Social Security | Debate Central | Contact Us

Dallas Headquarters: 12770 Coit Rd., Suite 800 - Dallas, TX 75251-1339 - 972/386-6272 - Fax 972/386-0924
Washington Office: 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 900 South Building - Washington, DC 20004 - 202/220-3082 - Fax 202/220-3096
© 2001 NCPA