Key initiatives
State Capacity
The State Capacity Initiative advances reforms to make 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 reimagine the structures and processes that underpin how government works.
Many of the laws and processes that shape how government hires, budgets, delivers services, and evaluates performance were designed for a different era and have not kept pace with modern demands.
Suspicion of state power is embedded in our Constitution and our political culture; accordingly, work to produce a stronger, more capable state will never be the path of least resistance.
But it’s the only path that leads where we need to go, and there is growing recognition across the political spectrum that this is the direction we need to take.
Brink Lindsey
Why It Matters
Effective state capacity is essential for tackling today’s most urgent issues, from public health to national security to infrastructure. The growing gap between policy intent and effective outcomes undermines performance, erodes trust, and wastes public resources.
The State Capacity Initiative is advancing a vision of government that is modern, capable, and worthy of the public’s trust. In an era of rapid change and growing complexity, we work to ensure our government can deliver positive outcomes. This requires committing to a bold, future-facing vision of what government should be, not settling for what it once was.
If we want a government that can deliver on its promises, we must improve in four priority areas:
- Hire the Right People, Fire the Wrong Ones
Outdated hiring and accountability systems limit the public sector’s ability to attract and retain talent - Reduce Procedural Bloat
Excessive procedural burdens slow decision-making and stifle discretion - Invest in Data and Digital Infrastructure
Inadequate digital and data infrastructure hampers implementation at scale - Close the Feedback Loops Between Policy and Implementation
Weak feedback mechanisms disconnect policymaking from real-world outcomes
