Making the Invisible Visible: Recap of Funders’ Summit for Effective Governing Institutions
In June 2022, PACE partnered with Democracy Funders Network to host a Funders’ Summit for Effective Governing Institutions. Under an almost-magical willow tree in the heat of summer Houston, a group of leaders gathered together to discuss the root causes of the problems limiting the efficacy of our governing institutions and to explore strategies for strengthening them.
The Summit was designed to bring two groups of leaders together: funders, who either have experience in funding to support effective governing institutions or were eager to learn more as new entrants into the space, and practitioners, who have on-the-ground expertise and experience to share about the challenges and bright spots related to strengthening our governing institutions.
The combination of these two groups made it feel less like a “Funders’ Summit” per se, and more like a turning point of concerned civic leaders sharing, learning, and problem-solving together.
Sessions provided a basis for learning and connection among this group, including discussion on topics such as:
- The current state of our governing institutions and why public trust is low.
- What’s possible when national governing institutions are effective and how to acknowledge when the government is performing well.
- A deep dive on the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which provides a model for strong, bipartisan congressional action and effectiveness.
- The “who” of the federal government and strategies to bring new, diverse talent into the executive and legislative branches.
- How to move beyond passing policy toward implementing policy and the role civil society partners play in that process.
- What bipartisan collaboration to restore Congress looks like, with a look at the efforts to strengthen Article One and other ways to further bolster the capacity of Congress.
- How to understand accountability mechanisms within effective governing institutions and how to bolster accountability efforts.
- Lastly, and to live fully into the purpose of the event, we concluded the Summit with a panel discussing philanthropy’s role in building more effective governing institutions.
After a robust few days of rich learning, there are a few reflections I am sitting with. First, the phrase “government needs to be trusted and trustworthy” came up a lot of times in a lot of ways throughout the Summit. There was a thread of discussion about why trust is important, what makes a government trustworthy, why trust is currently low, and what it would take to build back trust with the American public. Second, it seems that when the government is doing its job and being effective on behalf of the American public, that is precisely when we don’t notice. The invisible work of governance (in contrast to politics) often intentionally operates in the background, and is easily missed by the American public; the mechanisms and incentives to tell those stories are few and far between. Federal workers going above and beyond, initiatives running smoothly, crises that were averted without anyone noticing–this is the service that millions of civil servants are providing everyday. Frankly, we often only hear of tremendous and significant blunders, and you might say that governing institutions have a marketing problem. A big part of supporting effective governing institutions has to be about amplifying when and how government institutions are already being effective. As was often shared during the Summit, it’s about making the invisible visible.
Lastly and relatedly, in a discussion about philanthropy’s role in strengthening governing institutions, there was an acknowledgement that money flows into specific issue-based campaigns and strategies to get legislation passed, and when it does, that seems to be the end of philanthropy’s role. But there was a lot of discussion during the Summit about how that is precisely when philanthropy needs to show up. Effective implementation of policy is as important–if not more important–than passing policy. And as one participant shared, “The balance doesn’t need to be evenly divided; but philanthropic support and investment will face sharply diminishing returns.” The point was that investments in inputs have hit a threshold where they need to be balanced with investments in implementation, outputs, and outcomes. The person continued: “A reasonable initial target would be a 3x increase in the amount of funding dedicated to legislative and executive branch performance in the democracy field. Tripling this proportion would take us to approximately 10% of the total annual foundation funding for U.S. democracy. From there, we could build!”
What comes next? If you are interested in learning more about this topic, we offer the curated resource list that informed the Summit below as a starting point. We know this is a topic that needs further attention, energy, and investment, and we look forward to exploring how we can support that moving forward. If you have interest or ideas, feel free to reach out to me at Amy@PACEFunders.org.
We extend special thanks to Democracy Fund and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for their support in making the Funders’ Summit for Effective Governing Institutions possible.
Resource List: Effective Governing Institutions
The DFN and PACE teams are pleased to recommend the following readings, videos, and podcasts on the topic of effective governing institutions. Readings are alphabetized by author’s last name, or by publisher if no author is named.
Just like after Watergate, post-Trump era requires reforms to hold presidents accountable, Danielle Brian, CNN, November 2020. Description: In this opinion piece, Danielle Brian lays out reforms needed to curb executive power and ensure accountability for corruption and misuse of power, focusing on how we might close loopholes in current rules that have been highlighted by recent events.
Accountability: The Path to Improve Government Effectiveness and the Antidote to Authoritarianism, Danielle Brian and Zoe Reiter, June 2022. Description: An article repurposing and expanding upon comments made at the Summit. The authors explain that: “A fundamental first step in [creating a government worthy of the public’s trust] is strengthening the accountability measures — the checks and balances — that curb abuses of power and ensure our institutions are responsive to the people.”
Governance Program 2015–2020 Evaluation Report, Democracy Fund and Democracy Fund Voice (c4), September 2021. Description: A report assessing the system-level changes in the capacity of Congress, what facilitated those changes, and future considerations to help Congress strengthen its capacity to perform its constitutionally defined duties. It also includes evaluation results of the fund’s Governance Program (including purpose, context, and design of the evaluation), highlights the evaluation’s key findings, and offers considerations for the future.
How To Swap Presidents Without an Insurrection, Philip Elliott, TIME, January 2022. Description: A piece that explores the importance of the Presidential transition, and highlights ways to help it operate more smoothly, according to a report from the Partnership for Public Service and the Boston Consulting Group.
A Philanthropic Strategy for Strengthening National Governing Institution, Hewlett Foundation. Description: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s 2021–2025 strategy and roadmap for investing in governance and governing institutions (long version here).
Strengthening US democracy: Q&A with Jean Bordewich, Hewlett Foundation, May 2022. Description: Jean Bordewich led the development and implementation of the Hewlett Foundation’s “National Governing Institution” strategy. She speaks from a funders’ perspective about the opportunities, challenges, and evolutions within U.S. democracy and its relationship to philanthropy. Many of her insights and experiences helped inform the design and spirit of this summit.
Trust in Government, Paul Hitlin and Nadzeya Shutava, Partnership for Public Service, March 2022. Description: A comprehensive analysis of public perceptions of the federal government and its employees. This is important because “lack of trust has serious implications for how the public interacts with our government and how well federal agencies can respond to the major challenges facing the country.”
What America Needs Is a Liberalism That Builds, Ezra Klein, The New York Times, May 2022. Description: An opinion piece that explores the “trade-offs” between procedure and outcomes when it comes to considering the legitimacy and effectiveness of state capacity. He says “Government isn’t intrinsically inefficient. It has been made inefficient” due to policy and political choices made on both the political right and left.
The Fifth Risk, Michael Lewis, December 2019. Description: Michael Lewis’ 2019 book masterfully and vividly unspools the consequences if the people given control over our government have no idea how it works.
The Premonition, Michael Lewis, May 2021. Description: In his 2021 book, Lewis introduces us to a series of medical visionaries whose contributions made a difference in the COVID-19 response. This books inspires us to see how effective governing institutions can be advanced by everyday heroes, especially in the midst of our biggest challenges and crises.
News from the Select Committee on Modernization of Congress. Description: A catalog of press releases and news articles detailing the work of the Select Committee on Modernization of Congress, which former Rep. Tom Graves spoke about during the Summit.
State capacity: what it is, how we lost it, and how to get it back, Brink Lindsey, Center, November 2021. Description: This paper examines the concept of “state capacity,” which is the ability of a country to perform governance activities, such as collecting taxes, enforcing law and order, and providing public goods. The paper asserts that this has been weakened and taken for granted in the U.S., and that what is “at stake is not just the prospect for effective public policy in a wide variety of important domains; at this point, the legitimacy and continued vitality of liberal democracy are implicated as well.”
Biden inherited a broken government. Attracting a new generation of civil servants won’t be easy, Rudy Mehrbani, The Washington Post, October 2021. Description: One of the most important contributors to an effective institution is an effective workforce. This op-ed explains the talent recruitment challenge within the federal government, especially for civil service roles and those requiring levels of institutional knowledge. The piece notes this has long been a challenge, but articulates ways it has been exacerbated in recent years.
Congress Needs Modern Tech to Keep Up with Constituents’ Needs. Here’s How Philanthropy Can Help, Chris Nehls, Democracy Fund, July 2018. Description: An overview of grantee partners working to provide the tools and resources needed to help Congress keep up with the staggering volume of constituent communication.
The G Word with Adam Conover, Netflix, 2022. Description: Love it or hate it, the government plays a huge role in our lives. This Netflix series, hosted by Adam Conover with Barack Obama as executive producer, explores government’s triumphs, failures and how we might be able to change it.
Renewing Trust and Hope in Congress, Communications Toolkit, Partnership for Public Service, 2021. Description: A toolkit designed to equip allies to communicate a consistent set of messages and produce a steady stream of stories that work together to change perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors related to Congress.
Americans’ Views of Government: Decades of Distrust, Enduring Support for Its Role, Pew Research, June 2022. Description: New data (released on the first day of the Funders Summit) explores current data and trend-lines related to public trust in government (appointed and civil service leaders), as well as public sentiments on its role, purpose, and performance.
The Breakdown: Inspectors General, Explained, Project on Government Oversight, April 2020. Description: This short video explains the role that inspectors general play in ensuring accountability and effective management of federal agencies.
The Continuous Action Podcast Episode 4: It’s Good To Be The King, Project on Government Oversight, May 2022. Description: Podcast hosts Walt Shaub and Virginia Heffernan investigate the ways presidential power has expanded at the expense of checks and balances, featuring guests Matt Dallek, Jed Shugerman, and Liz Hempowicz. What systems exist to rein in a would-be authoritarian president, and how are they faring in these turbulent times?
If democracy survives, thank a federal employee, Jennifer Rubin, The Washington Post, May 2022. Description: An op-ed unpacking the results of the Partnership for Public Service “Trust in Government” survey results, which assessed public opinion of the federal workforce.
Needed: A Government Reform League for the 21st Century, Daniel Stid, The Art of Association, May 2022. Description: In this blog post, Daniel Stid outlines the challenges to the capacity of our governing institutions and the promising field of organizations working to overcome them. He also makes the case for philanthropic investment in government capacity, and lays out five axioms to guide funding in the space.
Why Democracy’s in Such Trouble: A Crisis in Public Trust of Government, Max Stier and Tom Freedman, Politico, March 2022. Description: Recent polling shows negative perceptions and low trust of federal government and its employees. This op-ed explains why this is a problem, noting that “When people don’t trust their government, they are more likely to opt out of voting and other types of civic participation. With less engagement, the public feels less empowered to influence government — and, in turn, government ‘hears’ their needs and preferences less. This creates a mistrust loop: Diminished trust in government leads to a disengaged public, resulting in inefficient, unresponsive or unaccountable institutions, and that leads to further deterioration of trust and national progress.”
