Bill Overview
Title: Improving Government for America's Taxpayers Act
Description: This bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO), in its annual report to Congress, to consolidate matters for congressional consideration into one report, organized by policy topic, and to identify congressional oversight actions that can help agencies implement unimplemented priority recommendations. The GAO is also required to publish the above information and publish any known costs of unimplemented priority recommendations.
Sponsors: Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6]
Target Audience
Population: People who pay taxes and are impacted by U.S. governmental practices
Estimated Size: 331000000
- The bill influences the Government Accountability Office's efficiency and effectiveness, which in turn can affect how agencies use taxpayer money.
- By potentially improving government efficiency and ensuring better oversight, all taxpayers could benefit from more transparent and effective government spending.
- The GAO's role in holding agencies accountable could lead to cost savings in government spending, indirectly benefiting the entire population.
Reasoning
- The policy aims to improve efficiency within government agencies by bolstering GAO's capacity to facilitate agency accountability. This could potentially lead to better use of taxpayer dollars and improved government services, impacting citizens' perceptions and satisfaction with government activities.
- The key population to be surveyed would be U.S. taxpayers who might see indirect benefits through enhanced transparency and government efficiency. However, the direct impact on individual wellbeing is likely subtle since the policy deals more with processes and systemic improvements than direct services.
- Given the broad scope of potential benefits, not every citizen might perceive individual changes in wellbeing immediately or clearly. Hence, different responses would be likely, reflecting a mix of support, skepticism, and neutrality based on personal experiences and perceptions of government transparency and efficiency.
Simulated Interviews
Public School Teacher (Chicago, IL)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think anything that makes the government more efficient is a good thing. We see a lot of wasted potential and resources in education, so this is encouraging.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Small Business Owner (Houston, TX)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This seems like it could help with more responsible spending which may eventually reduce waste and unnecessary expenses affecting small business taxes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Tech Engineer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policy like this can drive innovation in accountability and efficiency—it's needed in government as it is in tech.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Retired Factory Worker (Rural Kentucky)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Anything that keeps an eye on how our money is spent is a plus, but I'm skeptical about how much will really change.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Finance Analyst (New York City, NY)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's a step towards more responsible governance, which is crucial for sustainable economic policies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Healthcare Administrator (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While this doesn't directly touch healthcare, any increase in efficiency might redirect resources where they're needed most, like healthcare.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Journalist (Little Rock, AR)
Age: 33 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's crucial for journalists like myself to have access to this kind of information. It enhances transparency and allows us to better hold entities accountable.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Retired Teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 70 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm retired, so any savings made through better government spending could help resources for programs I depend on. But I've learned to temper my expectations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
College Student (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This kind of policy should be part of broader reforms for transparency, which would be amazing for strengthening democracy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Construction Worker (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 48 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's getting harder every year, so anything that helps to save taxpayer money is worth trying. I'm cautiously optimistic.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Year 2: $14500000 (Low: $11500000, High: $17500000)
Year 3: $14000000 (Low: $11000000, High: $17000000)
Year 5: $13000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $16000000)
Year 10: $12000000 (Low: $9000000, High: $15000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Ensure GAO has adequate resources and staffing to carry out additional requirements without affecting its existing functions.
- The effectiveness of cost savings and improvements in government efficiency will depend heavily on the implementation and response of Congress to the GAO's recommendations.
- Potentially increased workload for government agencies to comply with new oversight actions recommended by GAO.