In the early 1990s, Bill Clinton’s administration set out to “reinvent” government. What can the mercurial Tesla CEO learn from their efforts?
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AfterwinningareturntotheWhiteHouse,PresidentDonaldTrumptappedTeslaCEOElonMusktoheadtheDepartmentofGovernmentEfficiency(DOGE),abodytaskedwithmakingthegovernmentlesscostlyandmoreefficient.
Itisanarduousandunenviabletask.Itisalsonotthefirstsuchendeavor:Inthe1990s,then–VicePresidentAlGoreundertookasimilareffort.WhatcanwelearnfromGore’sexperience?
Aspresident,BillClintonfamouslydeclaredthat“theeraofbiggovernmentisover.”Weeksintohisterm,Clintonhadannounced“anationalperformancereview”(NPR)to“reinvent”government.HeputGoreinchargeoftheproject,whichwaslatercodifiedintolawbytheGovernmentPerformanceandResultsActof1993.
AdedicatedwebsitesaidtheNPRinitiative—laterrenamedtheNationalPartnershipforReinventingGovernment—wouldmakegovernment“workbetter,costless,andgetresultsAmerican[sic]careabout.”
TheN
