The American government’s pursuit of efficiency is a long and winding road, paved with good intentions and often obstructed by bureaucracy, funding battles, and a simple lack of visibility. As documented in our Government Efficiency Timeline, the quest to streamline processes and reduce waste has been a constant throughout our history. The Tax Project Institute, while remaining policy-neutral, strongly supports efforts at transparency and accountability in government, recognizing that sunlight is the best disinfectant.
One of the most significant challenges in evaluating government efficiency initiatives is their inherent lack of visibility. Take, for instance, the recent accusations of transparency against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This opacity is not unique to DOGE. While many applaud the transactional level detail DOGE is providing (albeit on X , although we are excited to see their Website evolve), which is often much more detail than prior administrations. However, others will point to these being done outside of the blanket approvals of Congress, and while more transactionally transparent, their overall macro aims, goals, directions, and intentions are not.
Many well-intentioned efficiency drives have been bogged down in commissions, buried within lengthy reports, tangled in congressional gridlock, agency bureaucracy, and, ultimately, fall victim to funding cuts, or the slow intentional death by red tape. A disheartening number of these efforts never see the light of day, resulting in wasted resources and missed opportunities. The absence of a national Score Card available to the public, tracking these endeavors further exacerbates the problem. Without a clear record of initiatives launched, progress made (or not made), and obstacles encountered, it is nearly impossible to learn from past experiences or hold individuals accountable.
A Transparent Path Forward: Shining a Light
Given the tools now available to industry, this is where modern technology can offer a powerful solution. While not proposing solutions, the Tax Project Institute believes that leveraging technologies such as blockchain, Hyperledger or Dogecoin’s decentralized Proof-of-Work (PoW) mechanism, could revolutionize the way we track and manage government efficiency initiatives. Imagine a system where each efficiency effort is logged as a transactional entry on an immutable mechanism like Hyperledger or PoW. This would create a transparent and verifiable record of the initiative’s progress that can’t be changed once entered, including:
- Task Assignment: Clearly identifying the individuals or teams responsible for specific tasks.
- Timestamps: Recording key milestones and deadlines.
- Dependencies: Highlighting any prerequisites or related efforts.
- Status Tracking: Documenting the current state of the initiative (e.g., “In Progress,” “Completed,” “Stalled,” “Cancelled”).
- Workflow: Project level visibility into where in a workstream an initiative stands.
- Decisions: A list of decisions that impacted the delivery of the transaction, and who made them.
- Justification: For any project that is cancelled, providing documented justification and reasoning for why it was cancelled.
- Accountable Persons: For any initiative, who is the person accountable for delivering the result.
- Accounting: Accurate accounting of bottom line results of efforts in clear metrics (e.g. Cost savings, Cost Avoidance, Productivity Gains, etc.)
Modernizing Transparency
Such a system would provide a transparent public national record of all intended efforts, allowing anyone to see who was tasked with what, when, how, and whether the effort succeeded or failed. This fosters accountability by making it easy for anyone to independently verify, track progress, and identify bottlenecks. Furthermore, a blockchain-based system would enable a streamlined workflow, ensuring that all stakeholders have access to the same, accurate information. Could America be on the precipice of a major Modernization in efficiency tracking and visibility, will the Technologist Elon Musk usher in a new Era of transparency?
The Tax Project Institute envisions a future where government efficiency initiatives are not shrouded in secrecy but rather are visible, trackable, and accountable. By shining a light on these efforts, we can empower citizens to hold their government accountable and drive meaningful progress towards a more efficient and effective public sector. This is not about pushing specific policies; it is about promoting transparency and providing the tools necessary for informed decision-making.
Citations:
[1] https://taxproject.org/government-efficiency-timeline/
