Effective Government in a Time of Significant Challenges

This speech was given by the Comptroller General before the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington, D.C. on November 17, 2011. Central among the difficult and pressing challenges facing our nation is the struggle to place our national government on a more sustainable long term fiscal path. The financial market crisis and the resulting economic downturn occurred against a backdrop of fiscal trends that were unsustainable even before these shocks. For several years, GAO has published long-term fiscal simulations illustrating this structural imbalance. GAO's most recent update on the government's long-term fiscal outlook showed the provisions of the Budget Control Act of 2011 have improved the federal government's fiscal outlook. The Act requires at least $2.1 trillion in deficit reduction from 2012-2021. But even with the Act, our simulations demonstrate there still is a longer term problem that needs sustained attention. We must pay attention to people. Budget cuts and workforce reductions can make employees, who came into government because they cared about the public good, feel devalued. Engaging them in the effort to improve government operations will be good both for morale and for government itself. In addition to keeping up staff morale, there are a number of ways in which managers can help elected officials address the challenges facing our government and the American people. Some challenges are long standing, others are newly emerging.