SGI 2024 | Governing with Foresight

Here, we are interested in examining the extent to which the government, both in the policy formulation and implementation phases, succeeds in institutionalizing coordination mechanisms that facilitate proactive problem-solving rather than hindering it.

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Composition

Key Findings

United States

Report

In the category of coordination, the United States falls into the sample’s bottom ranks (rank 28).

The president and White House staff lead the executive branch, setting priorities based on the president’s agenda. Federal departments generally operate with significant policy autonomy, and much policymaking happens within individual departments. Cross-department coordination is often informal, relying on personal networks.

The executive branch under Trump saw calamitous coordination failures, largely reflecting general problems of understaffing and a lack of competent leadership. The Biden administration has hired more staff and appointed competent leaders, showing a more orderly approach.

The country’s system of federalism creates very uneven delivery of public services across the nation. The federal government can impose conditionality on funding, but states in some cases refuse the funding in opposition to federal policy priorities. In general, state governments exercise a high degree of autonomy.

Coordination