HOW WE WORK

Government should work for the people

Our day-to-day experiences of citizenship too closely resemble bureaucratic nightmares—working with an agency can often lead to a confusing mess of paperwork. Whether a person is registering to vote, filing taxes, or starting a business, the unpleasantness of bureaucracy and poor UX design leads to demonstrably worse outcomes.

Our mission is to help policy makers find solutions that make government more efficient, accessible, and responsive to the needs of real human beings.

Our Approach

01

Effective government builds confidence

Whether its election offices, DMVs, or tax departments, a practical and efficient agency system helps promote greater confidence in government and democracy.
02

Government should use the information it has

When people let the government know information about themselves—for example, that they’ve moved, they expect the government to efficiently use that information. If one agency knows you’ve moved or that you’re eligible to register to vote, that information should be shared with other government agencies.
03

One size does not fit all

Each state, county, or city has its own distinct foundation of needs and context that we must build policy from.
04

Adequate resources are crucial

State and local election officials need money and expertise to make government more responsive, efficient, and user-friendly.
05

Innovation can be simple

Policy can radically redesign how government delivers services without a lot of retheorizing by elites—just build policies and procedures that fit existing infrastructure and work the way humans do.

News and Research

Reports
Colorado: A Case Study in Modernizing the Legislature
Press Release
New Responsive Gov Resources: Why President Trump Can’t Ban Mail Voting or Interfere with Election Equipment
Reports
Can the President Really Ban Mail Voting or Election Equipment?
Reports
Why We Can Trust Voting Machines
Reports
Why Mail Ballots Are Secure: Layered Safeguards
Blog
On CMS’s 60th Anniversary, All Eyes Are on Medicaid