Common Sense Government: Works Better and Costs Less: National Performance Review (3rd Report)

This publication reports on the progress of the Clinton Administration's effort to reinvent the Federal government bureaucracy and how it operates and serves citizens. Part 1, "A Government that Makes Sense," describes the progress that reinventing government has made and reviews the context in which the initiative was launched including analysis of how the Federal government became too bureaucratic and why it failed to keep up with technological advances. Part 2, "Getting Results," describes how the reinventing effort has tried to get results rather than focus on rules through regulatory overhaul. It describes specific examples of regulatory simplification and creative responses to getting services to citizens more effectively. Part 3, "Putting Customers First," describes the effort to learn what those who use government agencies want and to change services to meet customer desires. Part 4, "Getting Our Money's Worth," describes how this initiative has worked to manage money and other assets well and save significantly toward reducing the federal deficit through eliminating unnecessary programs, improving purchasing, and holding agencies accountable. The concluding Part reflects on the place of trust and personal responsibility in good government. Appendixes contain information on the status of the recommendations, new recommendations, regulatory reform efforts, summary of savings, and executive and legislative actions taken.