Institute for Responsive Government
Responsive Gov is a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to ensuring state and federal governments work effectively for the very people they serve. We provide data, research, and expertise to elected officials in order to find practical policy solutions.
- NEW: We found that 13 states could save at least $100,000 to $29 million annually in Medicaid costs without cutting benefits or pharmacy reimbursements. How? By cutting out the middlemen with corporate markups: Pharmacy Benefit Managers. Read it here:
- We were honored to have Gideon Cohn-Postar, our Senior Advisor for Election Infrastructure, join the Auburn University Elections Symposium with Caleb Hays to talk about their innovative proposal for broadening the federal funding base for federal elections grants.
- Important read from @civicdesign: Their four principles for designing clear, effective government forms: 1⃣ Make it trustworthy. 2⃣ Explain the problem clearly. 3⃣ Be specific about the problem. 4⃣ Tell them how to take action successfully. More here: civicdesign.org/form-letters...
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- President Trump announced plans to issue an executive order to halt mail voting and interfere with voting equipment. Here are the facts: Voting by mail is safe & secure, with overlapping safeguards at every step of the voting process. Read our factsheet:
- When done right, electronic verification can streamline services, save money, and reduce paperwork. But tech solutions built on shaky data can do real damage. More on USCIS's proposed overhaul of the SAVE database via @jonshorman.bsky.social @stateline.org:
- ERIC for Medicaid "addresses real inefficiencies without reducing benefits, strengthens the technical backbone of Medicaid, and sets the stage for broader improvements to how government delivers services." Important read by @sorendayton.bsky.social of FAI:
- Today marks 60 years of CMS – a vital agency offering services to 160M+ Americans. At the same time Medicaid faces damaging cuts, Congress took a promising step by adopting ERIC for Medicaid – a plan to cut duplicate enrollments & save billions of dollars: responsivegov.org/on-cmss-60th...
- The Trump administration’s latest effort to undermine trust in our elections & the public servants who administer them? DOJ efforts to prosecute election officials. We're appalled. Read the @nytimes.com LTE from our executive director, Sam Oliker-Friedland: www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/o...
- We echo the Project for Election Infrastructure in welcoming $15M in proposed election infrastructure funding in the FY26 Financial Services & General Govt. bill. But $400M is what's really needed for secure elections. Read PEI's full release here: modernizeourelections.org/project-for-...
- In NYC's mayoral race, many saw @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social's win as validation for RCV. In reality, it was more complicated. “In this case, RCV didn’t mitigate polarization. It arguably masked it.” Read the full op-ed from our ED, Sam Oliker-Friedland in @thehill.com: thehill.com/opinion/camp...
- The Department of Justice is seeking voter data on millions of Americans. “… it’s really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained.” - Neal Ubriani, Responsive Gov Research Director More via @jonshorman.bsky.social:
- Exciting news: In Virginia, Gov. Youngkin has signed an executive order launching an AI regulatory reduction pilot to help the state identify opportunities to cut red tape and keep regulatory guidance streamlined. VA follows the lead of places like Ohio and San Francisco.
- A case study in cutting red tape: Virginia Gov. Youngkin announced that the state's Office of Regulatory Management, set up in 2022, has slashed regulatory requirements in the VA Administrative Code by 27%, saving Virginians more than $1.2 billion per year. 🧵
- Working through significant challenges, the State Department revamped the online system for a process that’s long been a pain in Americans’ side: renewing or applying for a passport. The result? A quicker, simpler process; 94% positive reviews; & recorded increased trust in government. Read more:
- “Every eligible American should have the opportunity to cast their ballot in an accessible and secure way, and that’s exactly what this legislation ensures." - Responsive Gov Action Executive Director Sam Oliker-Friedland Thank you @wyden.senate.gov for reintroducing the Vote At Home Act:
- 🚨 Big congrats to our friends at HIP — now Health in Partnership! Same vision and values, new name and look to better reflect their current work. 🙌 Learn more: www.healthinpartnership.org/message-from...
- “Why not transform the Presidential Election Campaign Fund, which has sunk into obscurity, into the Election Security Fund?” Adequate, reliable funding makes for stronger elections. This is an innovative funding solution from former Sen. Roy Blunt in @wsj.com: www.wsj.com/opinion/chec...
- From security threats to outdated infrastructure & equipment, election administrators face many challenges that require major resources to address. Federal funding is critical to ensuring secure, accessible elections. It’s long past time for Congress to commit to $400m in elections funding.
- From our latest white paper by former Alaska State Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins: "Goodness knows that this country desperately needs systems-level change given recent political history. I believe proportional representation can be part of the solution."
- What could election offices do with adequate federal funding? • Patch critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities; • Replace outdated voting machines; • Upgrade voter registration databases; • Hire qualified staff; And more. Congress should allocate $400m in elections funding.
- Election administrators at the state and local levels work tirelessly to run safe, accessible, impartial elections. Congress should equip local election officials with the tools they need to continue to strengthen our democracy by appropriating $400m for election infrastructure.
- 165+ election officials have written a letter calling on Congress to step up for our democracy—& election administrators nationwide—by granting $400 million in elections funding. Let's get them the resources they need to keep elections strong & secure.
- Rather than promoting efficiency or accountability, proposed cuts to federal Medicaid funding would undermine state flexibility, strain local economies, and ultimately cost taxpayers more in the long run. Read our latest report:
- As Congress convenes to discuss potential cuts to Medicaid on Tuesday, our report explores how Medicaid cuts would create insurmountable deficits in state budgets that decimate the program’s ability to work well, even for those who retain coverage:
- Looking for policies that could disrupt partisan gridlock, encourage collaboration, and boost turnout? Responsive Gov fellow and former Alaska State Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins explains how proportional representation offers a path forward. Read it here:
- New report: States can’t afford deep Medicaid cuts. We explore how proposed funding cuts would create insurmountable state budget deficits that would decimate the program’s ability to function—even for Medicaid recipients lucky enough to retain coverage.
- Happening now: @reed.senate.gov & @klobuchar.senate.gov discuss the importance of adequately funding our elections on the Senate floor. Secure, efficient, accessible elections require resources – period. Election officials need Congress to appropriate $400 million in election security grants ASAP.
- Creating a better process to hire government workers, so that government can work better for the people. This is a win-win for Maryland.
- New on the blog: “Waste, fraud, & abuse” have been cited as reasons to cut Medicaid funding. Here’s how smart, upfront investment – and learning from innovations in the election sector – could help curb waste & boost the efficiency of this vital program.
- We said it before and we’ll say it again: President Trump’s elections executive order is full of unfunded mandates that create more work for election officials and, if enacted, would leave taxpayers footing the bill. More from Patrick Marley and @yvonnewingett.bsky.social:
- This isn't just a tech glitch—it’s a live window into the chaos that ensues when policymakers don’t plan for implementation. Any policy is bound to face hiccups if policymakers fail to plan for what happens when policy moves off the page & into practice.
- When our political leaders target those who work to support America’s election officials, they cultivate a culture of fear and intimidation. @thekrebscycle.bsky.social is not alone, and elections in this country will continue to be fair and free.
- The U.S. House just passed the SAVE Act, legislation that erects barriers to registration for millions of eligible American voters across the political spectrum and criminalizes election administrators for minor errors. More on its potential impacts here:
- A new report from National Vote at Home Institute found that in the 2024 primary elections, Universal Vote at Home states (states where every active registered voter is automatically delivered a ballot) had nearly double the turnout rate of non-Vote at Home states. More here:
- NEW: The latest white paper from Responsive Gov Fellow Jamila Michener makes the case for government agencies to more meaningfully engage with the people they serve – so they can build more efficient and effective programs.
- On the blog: From Hawaii to California, Florida to Pennsylvania – a look at how state & local governments can cut red tape and help communities quickly rebuild after natural disasters, getting people back in their homes and businesses.
- Our team created a resource to help you better understand the key provisions in Trump's sloppy and illegal elections EO; and how it’ll make it harder for many eligible citizens – including members of the military and married women – to participate in our democracy:
- Today's elections executive order is a stew of unfunded mandates and barriers that will make it more difficult for election officials to administer secure elections and more challenging for eligible U.S. citizens to participate in our democracy. Our statement:
- This is not what good policymaking or increased government efficiency looks like. H/T to @juddlegum.bsky.social for covering this shift, which will disrupt systems and services for people, and create more burdens for SSA employees.
