Moving Beyond Slogans and Rhetoric
A Civil Framework for Reforming Law Enforcement The author, Bob Melville, is the founder of Civic Way, a nonprofit dedicated to good government, and a management consultant with over 45 years of experience improving governmental agencies across the U.S.
Our View of Transparency in Government
Defining the Challenge Politicians often talk about transparency without explaining or even knowing what it means. Some invoke it to justify their course or lack of action, even cloaking self-interest with cynical appeals to the public interest. To hold public officials accountable, we need a clear standard for transparency, one that fits the new technological and…
Our View of Public Leadership
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” ― Benjamin Franklin Introduction Some view the American Presidency as the most powerful office in the free world. Serving 350 million people and managing over 2 million employees, the federal executive branch may be the world’s most influential, complicated and unwieldy public institution. But, we…
Our View of Accountability in Government
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic is the classic “teaching moment.” The Trump Administration stumbles from denial to fantasy, altering messages, picking weird fights and dodging responsibility. States respond differently, often based on political factors. And localities, in lieu of cohesive, consistent federal and state leadership, are forced to rely on their instincts and strained resources to…