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For immediate release: February 24, 2025

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** Ripon Forum Examines the History of Government Reform in the U.S.
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Latest edition also marks the 60th anniversary of the March on Selma with essays by Katie Britt, Chris Coons, Maggie Hassan, Jay Obernolte, Terri Sewell and Robert Traynham
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WASHINGTON, DC – At a time when federal agencies are being scrutinized and federal employees are being subjected to a review that some are calling unfair and others are calling long overdue, the latest edition of The Ripon Forum examines the history of government reform in the United States and whether the lessons of the past are even relevant given the changes underway today.

“There have been more than 15 attempts to reform and reorganize the United States federal government since the Progressive Era in the early 1900s,” write John Kamensky and Mark Abramson ([link removed]) in the lead essay for this latest edition of the centrist Republican journal of political thought and opinion. “The latest of these efforts … is literally shaking the foundation of official Washington with its no-holds-barred approach.”

Citing past reform efforts launched by Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Reagan, and Clinton, Kamensky and Abramson note that, “There is evidence that including career civil servants in the work of a reform initiative can increase the success of the ‘improving program’ initiatives since they can gain ‘buy-in’ from the civil service.” But, they add, the current effort being led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency “has not been operating like any of these past reform efforts…” As a result, the pair conclude, “America is in uncharted territory when it comes to government reform.”

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst ([link removed]) , who leads the DOGE Caucus in the Senate, agrees. “The election of President Donald Trump and formation of DOGE has broken through and disrupted business-as-usual in Washington,” Ernst writes in an essay. “Finally, the tables are turning, and we are already trimming the fat. Not a moment too soon either. The federal government is more than $36 trillion in debt, adding $3 billion a day in interest payments, and spending money faster than ever before.”

Philip Howard ([link removed]) , one of the most respected experts on government reform in America today, has been a longtime advocate of the need to shake up the federal bureaucracy. In an essay for the Forum, he explains why restoring a sense of accountability is key to any effort to make government work. “Accountability is essential not only to remove poor performers, but also to instill pride and responsibility in public culture,” he writes. “Mutual trust is difficult when everyone knows performance doesn’t matter.”

In other essays for this edition of the Forum, deficit hawk Maya MacGuineas ([link removed]) of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget argues that any effort to reduce the national debt will be inadequate without also reforming the amount our country spends on entitlements. Scholar Philip Joyce ([link removed]) examines the constitutionality of the President’s actions and why the checks and balances envisioned by the Founding Fathers will only work if all branches of government play a role. Zach Mottl ([link removed]) discusses why he believes tariffs are an essential part of America’s economic revival.

In a special feature examining the 60th anniversary of the March on Selma, U.S. Sens. Katie Britt ([link removed]) , Chris Coons ([link removed]) , and Maggie Hassan ([link removed]) and U.S. Reps. Jay Obernolte ([link removed]) and Terri Sewell ([link removed]) are joined by Faith & Politics Institute President Robert Traynham ([link removed]) in examining the impact of this historic event and why the courage demonstrated by the Civil Rights Activists who marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in March of 1965 still resonates in America today.

And in the latest Ripon Profile, Mississippi State Representative Rodney Hall ([link removed]) — the first black Republican elected to that state’s legislature since reconstruction — discusses, among other topics, what public service means to him.

The Ripon Forum is published six times a year by The Ripon Society, a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.

For more information on The Ripon Society, please visit www.riponsociety.org ([link removed]) .

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The Ripon Society is a non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the District of Columbia. It is exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to section 501 (c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Ripon Society does not make contributions or expenditures to influence elections. In addition, The Ripon Society does not engage in other election activities, including voter registration, voter identification, get-out-the-vote activity, or generic campaign activity, collectively referred to as "federal election activity" in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. Donations from corporations, organizations or individuals are accepted.

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