Press Coverage of Research on Federal Government Breakdowns

The Volcker Alliance

An issue paper by Paul C. Light, Paulette Goddard Professor of Public Service at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service and a special adviser to the chairman of the Volcker Alliance, demonstrates that the number of federal government agency breakdowns has steadily increased over the past 30 years.

The paper, released at a press conference held today at the National Press Club, documents 48 federal agency breakdowns since 2000, ranging from failing to “connect the dots” in identifying the threat of the terrorist attacks of September 11th to the collapse of an interstate-highway bridge in Minnesota to the botched launch of healthcare.gov. His analysis reveals that flawed policy and inadequate resources were accompanied by deficiencies in culture, structure, and leadership.

Read press coverage of the event and research below. See also, the press release.

A Crisis in Government Performance: A Discussion with Paul A. Volcker and Paul C. Light from Volcker Alliance on Vimeo.