We're concerned with good government, the American experiment, and building a political system that breeds public trust and engagement. We offer our perspectives on today's issues and topics.

Safe, Honest and Competitive Elections

By Bob Melville | August 19, 2020 | Comments Off on Safe, Honest and Competitive Elections
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Saving Lives and Democracy in 2020 and Beyond This is the third of Civic Way’s series on reconstructing American government (read Part I and Part II). 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…

Saving Government for the Next Crisis

By Bob Melville | August 16, 2020 | Comments Off on Saving Government for the Next Crisis
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Using Federal Aid to Spur the Governmental Reform We Need This is the second of Civic Way’s series on reconstructing American government (you can read Part I here). 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…

The Need for Government Reform

By Bob Melville | August 14, 2020 | Comments Off on The Need for Government Reform
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Preparing State and Local Government for the Next Crisis This is the first of a series on reconstructing American government. 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 on Modernizing Federalism and Government

By Bob Melville | June 25, 2020 | Comments Off on Our View on Modernizing Federalism and Government
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Introduction American Federalism—our federal and state partnership—paved the way for many successes. Initially, each partner’s respective roles seemed clear, with the federal government tackling international challenges like war and trade and states confronting domestic issues like education and health. Even as the federal government grew in size and scope, states emerged as “labs of democracy,”…

Our View on Elections and Democracy

By Bob Melville | June 11, 2020 | Comments Off on Our View on Elections and Democracy
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Introduction We have taken democracy for granted. We have forgotten that it has to be enacted anew in every generation, in every year, in every day… – John Dewey As the Covid-19 death toll surpassed 100,000 souls and the George Floyd protests spread to over 700 cities and towns, some politicians thought the timing perfect…

Reexamining Federalism Through the Pandemic

Our View on Linking Government Relief and Reform

By Bob Melville | May 27, 2020 | Comments Off on Our View on Linking Government Relief and Reform
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Introduction In the face of dire projections about state and local government, our national leaders have resumed their familiar roles in another partisan skirmish. The Democratic House has passed a $3 trillion aid package for state and local governments, but Senate Republican leaders have expressed reservations. The truth is that many jobs—teachers, police officers, firefighters…

Our View on the Need for Government Reform

By Bob Melville | May 5, 2020 | Comments Off on Our View on the Need for Government Reform
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Introduction As Congress debated another Covid-19 stimulus package, Senator McConnell shared his skepticism about government aid, suggesting that we should allow states (especially those with distressed pension funds) to go bankrupt. Looking past its dubious legality (states cannot declare bankruptcy under federal law), unintended irony (Kentucky has a dismal pension funding ratio) and breathtaking cynicism,…

Moving Beyond Slogans and Rhetoric

By Bob Melville | April 26, 2020 | Comments Off on Moving Beyond Slogans and Rhetoric
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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

By Bob Melville | April 20, 2020 | Comments Off on Our View of Transparency in Government
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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

By Bob Melville | April 15, 2020 | Comments Off on Our View of Public Leadership
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“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…

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