Why Is Dealing With the Government So Painful?
A conversation with Jason Miller, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, on what the pandemic revealed about government effectiveness and why improving customer experience is critical to democracy.
Government services should always be this easy.
Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America
This is one of a series of interviews by Bloomberg Opinion columnists on how to solve the world’s most pressing policy challenges. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Romesh Ratnesar: Last year, President Joe Biden released his administration’s “management agenda,” which among other things, focuses on improving the federal government’s delivery of services and benefits. As the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, you serve as the federal government’s chief operating officer. You’re overseeing the administration’s efforts to make government work better. Why is it important for the federal government to deliver a better customer experience? What impact does it have on the lives of citizens and how does it influence their views of government itself?