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Reinventing Government

"We can no longer afford to pay more for -- and get less from -- our government. The answer for every problem cannot always be another program or more money. It is time to radically change the way the government operates. We must reward the people and ideas that work and get rid of those that don't."
-- President Bill Clinton, September 7, 1993

When President Clinton took office in 1993, he was determined to make the federal government work more efficiently and cost less. The President established the National Performance Review, under the direction of Vice President Al Gore, to "reinvent" government. Within six months, the Vice President produced a report containing hundreds of recommendations that have already resulted in actions that will lead to $63 billion in savings.

The National Performance Review developed four main principles to guide its efforts to reinvent government:

To go back to basics

To put customers first and make government more responsive to the American people;

To cut red tape by eliminating unnecessary paperwork for states, communities, and citizens; and

To empower federal employees by making them more responsible and accountable for their efforts.