Today marks the one-year anniversary of DOGE—and the release of We the Doers’ first report, Former Civil Servants Speak: How to Achieve Real Reform in a Post-DOGE World.
This report—the output of our first workshop with former senior civil servants in December—reflects our belief that efficiency shouldn’t be measured just in terms of cuts, but in terms of delivering value that the average American can see and feel.
It reflects our vision that meaningful, common-sense reform IS sorely needed and it DOES need to be pursued with a sense of urgency.
But it need not be chaotic, cruel, or performative.
DOGE’s approach was to “move fast and break things,” but most Americans don’t want to break government. They want to fix it.
DOGE’s approach was to do an end-run around Congress. We want to engage them as partners in developing solutions.
DOGE’s approach was to alienate and “traumatize” civil servants. We know they need to be engaged as partners—because only those who’ve been in the trenches understand the real root barriers to reform.
We the Doers’ approach is different.
We know the only way to fix government is to understand how power, process, and delivery actually work, and then change the rules of the game to make it winnable.
- Specifically, we want to change the rules of the game to:
- Define the bottom line in terms of delivering value that the average American can see and feel—and start measuring what matters;
- Build a feedback loop between Congress and the civil servants—“the doers” that will have to implement legislation…and deal with the tradeoffs, unintended consequences, and unfunded mandates
- Fix the broken budget process
- Build a culture that focuses as much on delivery as compliance by empowering managers, making government a savvy customer, attracting and rewarding courageous leadership, and getting good at technology
Want to learn more?
Check out our report, and please help us spread the word by re-posting with your network!
2 Responses
Those of us (former Civil Servants) who lived through the last year cannot fail to appreciate the intent, efforts, goals, and objectives set out by We the Doers.
When considering how to reshape elements of government in ways that better serve the people, this passage from the Declaration of Independence feels especially relevant:
Original (1776)
“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes…”
That sentence is often overlooked, but it matters. The Declaration warns against disrupting government for reasons that are unwarranted, inadvisable, or self-serving.
A modern-English translation might read:
“Don’t create upheaval in government just because you’re frustrated, lack understanding, or want to disrupt. But don’t tolerate inefficiency or failure forever either.”
That tension between restraint and responsibility defined debate 1776, and it defines debate today.
Organizations like We the Doers reflect that tradition of taking change seriously, grounding reform in clear goals, and focusing on effectiveness rather than destruction. This isn’t about slashing for sport. It’s about reshaping institutions so they work better for the people they serve.
The language has evolved over 250 years, but the principle remains: thoughtful reshaping, built through inclusion, and undertaken with care, accountability, and purpose.
What a beautiful and thought-provoking sentiment. Thank you for sharing and inviting us to dive deeper into the text of the Declaration!