Discuss some of the ways in which the government has attempted to improve efficiency in the bureaucracy.

What will be an ideal response?

Answers will vary.The Government Performance and Results Act, which went into effect in 1993, has forced the federal government to change the way it does business. Since 1997, almost every agency (except the intelligence agencies) has had to describe its goals and identify methods for evaluating how well those goals are met. A goal can be as broad as lowering the number of highway traffic deaths or as narrow as reducing the number of times an agency's phone rings before it is answered.As one example, consider the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It has improved the effectiveness of its short-term forecasting services, particularly in issuing warnings of tornadoes. The warning time has increased from seven to fifteen minutes. This may not seem significant, but it provides additional critical time for those in the path of a tornado.President Obama's contribution to the attempt to improve government effectiveness was to create a chief performance officer. This individual reported directly to the president and worked with other economic officials in an attempt to increase efficiency and eliminate waste in government.