Key initiatives
State Capacity
The State Capacity Initiative advances reforms to make the U.S. government more capable, responsive, and effective at implementing policy and delivering on its promises. Even the most well-designed policies can falter in execution. To meet the urgency and complexity of today’s challenges, we must rethink the structures and processes that underpin how government works.
Many of the laws and systems governing how government hires, regulates, budgets, delivers services, and evaluates performance were designed for a different era–and have not kept pace with modern demands.
If we want a government that can deliver on its promises, we must improve in four priority areas:
Personnel
Our objective: A federal personnel system that is simpler, faster, and more flexible; agencies can recruit top talent, remove poor performers, and manage teams effectively.
Policy change we seek: Comprehensive Civil Service Reform legislation to modernize classification & pay, hiring & assessment, performance management, accountability, and labor relations.
Proceduralism
Our objective: Procedural rules that enable timely and effective action instead of stalling it. Government decisions that are faster, more beneficial, and less burdensome without sacrificing appropriate accountability or high-quality analysis.
Policy change we seek: Reform core administrative procedures through cross-cutting legislation and domain-specific laws (APA, NEPA, PRA, etc.).
Digital infrastructure
Our objective: The federal government delivers digital services that work, powered by cross-functional teams using the Product Operating Model.
Policy change we seek: Congress and agencies codify the Product Operating Model into digital operations and service delivery. Niskanen provides actionable, data-informed recommendations to guide implementation.
Feedback loops
Our objective: The U.S. government consistently adapts and improves by learning from real-world outcomes. Structural and cultural reforms in Congress and the Executive branch help close the loop between policy design, implementation, and impact that result in better public services.
Policy change we seek: Congress adopts best practices for writing implementation-focused legislation. Congressional, GAO, and IG oversight shifts from process compliance to outcomes accountability.
Niskanen Center State Capacity USCIS Project
A practical application of state capacity principles to make the U.S. government more capable, responsive, and effective at administering legal immigration and delivering on its promises.
