A law meant to simplify government forms now blocks commonsense improvements, wastes taxpayer money, and slows life-saving services.
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Legislatorslovemisnomers.TheUSAPATRIOTAct“increasedpatriotism”byreducingdomesticfreedoms.TheInflationReductionActincreasedinflationbeforeoureyes.Andsinceitsintroductionin1980,thePaperworkReductionAct(PRA)hasdramaticallyincreasedtheamountandcomplexityofgovernmentpaperwork.
ThePRAwaslastupdatedin1995.Websitesbackthenwereextremelybasic:mostlytextwiththeoccasionalgrainyimagethattookafullminutetoload.Therewasnoconceptofonlineformsoraccessinggovernmentservicesovertheinternet.TheClintonadministrationhadlaunchedwhitehouse.govameresevenmonthsearlier,andthefederalgovernmentdidnotevenbeginmanagingthe.govtop-leveldomainuntil1997.
Theworldhaschanged.Mostformsarefilledoutonline—increasingly,onmobiledevices.Atypicalformisnotastaticsetoffieldsbutratherdynamic,showingorhidingquestionsbasedonpriorresponses,enforcingrequiredelements,andensuringyourresponsemeetscriteria.F
