"What is needed most is a change in ideas: namely, a reversal of those intellectual trends of the past 50 years or so that have brought us to the current pass."
What It’s About
Brink Lindsey argues that the American public sector’s ability to do its job effectively, its "state capacity,” has been eroded by both conservative anti-government ideology and progressive proceduralism. Reviewing evidence like the disastrous rollout of Healthcare.gov, Lindsey outlines practical reforms to restore effective governance and rebuild public confidence.
Upshot
Lindsey identifies five critical areas:
- Federal Workforce Overhaul: The government urgently needs an expanded, skilled federal workforce, reversing decades of hollowing out due to over-reliance on contractors and neglect of civil service
- Modernize Tax Enforcement: Addressing chronic underfunding of the IRS and reforming enforcement practices could raise revenue by reducing tax evasion
- Reform Government Technology: Overhauling outdated IT systems and procurement processes will dramatically enhance government’s ability to deliver services
- Simplify Environmental Reviews: Streamlining overly complex environmental regulations like the National Environmental Policy Act can reduce prohibitive delays and ballooning costs for infrastructure projects
- Strengthen Public Health Systems: Reforming public health institutions can improve performance in future pandemics and other health crises
Did you know? Public trust in government has fallen from ~75% in the 1960s to under 20% today.
Why It Matters
Lindsey offers an important and foundational articulation of what state capacity is, why it matters, and how we lost it. And as a prominent libertarian, Lindsey’s embrace of state capacity is emblematic of the intellectual shifts occurring among many libertarian thinkers.
Who Wrote It
Brink Lindsey is a senior vice president at the Niskanen Center, where he plays a leading role in developing and articulating the Center’s distinctive policy vision.