University of Chicago Center for Effective Government

Did you know? The United States has approximately 4,000 civilian political appointees in non-advisory roles at any given time. For comparison, other developed democracies have between a few dozen and a few hundred political appointees. Scholars suggest that political motivations behind appointees mean the US has more than is optimal for performance alone. But could reducing the number of political appointees create better outcomes for the federal bureaucracy? Watch highlights from our Democracy Reform Primer on Political Appointees penned by Professor David Lewis from the Department of Political Science at Vanderbilt University.  #democracy #reform #primers #politicalappointees

There is widespread dissatisfaction with federal agency performance.  Performance problems stem from regular vacancies in appointed positions and less qualified leaders in positions filled by political appointees. Reformers advocate cuts or expansions in the number of political appointees—but would this improve performance?  Professor David Lewis from the Department of Political Science at Vanderbilt University presents the research to answer this question in this latest installment from our Democracy Reform Primer Series 💡 Read more or download 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/e2TkF2xP #democracy #reform #primers #politicalappointees

This spring we had the pleasure of hosting the second year of the Executive Leadership Seminar Series. Through our collaboration with Chicago Public Schools and generous funding from the Children's First Fund, each year the Seminar Series provides immersive, multi-disciplinary leadership training to senior-level staff at CPS. Ranging from leadership positions in the Facilities Department to the Chief Education Office to the Department of Planning and Data Management, Seminar Series participants brought diverse professional and lived experiences to their discussion of how to strengthen their own leadership and make an impact on CPS as an institution. Congratulations to our second cohort of the Executive Leadership Seminar Series! Read more: https://bit.ly/3Wi1zNx

“On net, theory and evidence from political science suggest that term limits would likely reduce the quality and competence of elected officials while also reducing their incentives to work hard on behalf of voters. This likely means that voters will be worse represented and see worse policy outcomes.” In case you missed it, watch the highlights from our practical research guide on Term Limits by Professor Anthony Fowler – part of our Democracy Reform Primer Series 💡 Or download the paper: https://lnkd.in/ectySmsc #termlimits #democracy #reform #primers University of Chicago  Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago

We’re thrilled to announce our collaboration with The Associated Press. Translating scholarship from our Democracy Reform Primers Series into videos and Localize It guides for newsrooms across the US, this collaboration will support coverage of key reforms. “Especially during an election year, local journalists need tools to strengthen their democracy coverage and cover political reform issues in a way that meets their audiences where they are,” said U.S. News Director Josh Hoffner. “By working with CEG we are able to provide newsrooms with both the academic and journalistic guidance needed to set up local journalists for success.” “Through this collaboration, we’ve been able to utilize the strengths of both our organizations: AP’s experience delivering quality products to newsrooms across the US and the Center for Effective Government’s ability to provide accessible, practical resources based on scholarship,” said Katie Oyan, Deputy Director of Local New Success at The Associated Press. “Our work with CEG around AP’s Localize It guides provides local journalists with the tools they need to cover institutional reform issues in ways that connect with their audiences.” Learn more about this collaboration: https://bit.ly/4b4KVVj

“The network of CLA Fellows is collaborative and actionable, and I have been fortunate to collaborate with alumni–in both the nonprofit and public sectors–to make a positive impact on the quality of life of Chicagoans.”  In the latest installment of the Harris Voices series from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, Miguel A. Blancarte, Jr. (CLA'21) discusses his experience in CLA during a global pandemic and at a transformative moment in his career. Read more to learn how Miguel and CLA alumni are making an impact in communities across Chicago and Cook County.

Congratulations to our CLA 2024 cohort, which celebrated their graduation on Friday. A special thank you to our graduation speakers: Harris Dean Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, William Howell, Sadia Sindhu Khosa, Sybil Madison (CLA'19), and Marcos Gonzales (CLA'24). CLA 2024 Fellows, we welcome you to the CLA alumni community, which is full of reformers and change-makers working across institutions in Chicago and Cook County. You join a network of 300 CLA fellows who are eager to work alongside you to advance change in Chicago and Cook County. Please join us in congratulating Ponni Arunkumar Asia Canady Quiana Chapple Benna Crawford Johannes Favi Marcos Gonzales Laura Gutierrez Amilcar Guzmán, Ph.D. Steve H. Teena Lorie Harris Caleb Herod Matthew Hiltibran Sana Jafri Gabriela Jirasek Catherine Johnson Elliot Gary Karl Sali S. Mahgoub Gina Massuda Barnett Josh McGowan Mary Nicol Dr. Eugenia Orr Matthew Peterson Kaitin Powell JuanPablo Prieto Vanessa A. Sanchez (she/her/hers) Aditi Singh Katie Thiede Brian K. Thompson Jr. Cara Yi and Aziza D.

“The current proposals to return our government to the days of the 19th-century patronage system raise the stakes even further and put the future of our democracy on the line.” The future of the federal bureaucracy is part of the debate in the current presidential race with a proposed plan, known as “Schedule F”, giving politically appointed federal officials unbridled authority to fire tens of thousands of civil servants who have been selected based on their expertise and capability, and replace them with people chosen according to their fealty to the president. Max Stier, President and CEO of Partnership for Public Service, writes that undermining the expertise of the professional civil service, this plan would substantially increase the risk that governmental authority could be used to further the personal interests of those in power rather than the public good. https://lnkd.in/eT8rKtS8 Chicago Sun-Times  David Lewis   #democracy #reform #primers #politicalappointees

ICYMI: Learn why changing the timing of local elections to coincide with higher-profile federal and state elections dramatically increases turnout and produces a more representative set of voters. In this practical research guide from our Democracy Reform Primer Series, Professor Christopher Berry discusses the existing challenges in turnout for local elections and explores potential solutions.  📥 #democracy #reform #primers #elections Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago

📣 Calling all nonprofit and local government leaders from the City of Chicago and Cook County – the 2025 cohort of the Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) is now open for applications! CLA is an interdisciplinary leadership development program for emerging and high-potential leaders in nonprofit organizations and local government agencies within the City of Chicago and Cook County. The immersive, six-month curriculum provides each cohort with: 💡 Essential knowledge and skills to lead their organizations. 💡 Networking, personal growth and a dedicated alumni community. 💡 Courses by UChicago faculty, local leaders and experts. 💡 Global exposure through Global Practicum trip abroad. 💡 Official certification from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Apply now before September 3rd: bit.ly/apply-cla-2025 Or join the upcoming info sessions on June 20th and 26th: https://bit.ly/CLA-events #democracy #leadership