The Ripon Forum
Volume 51, No. 5
November 2017
In this edition
by LOU ZICKAR
Amid all the bad news coming out of Washington, DC these days, there is a lot of good work being done by inspiring individuals who are quietly trying to make government work better for the American people.
Common Sense in the Wake of Disaster
by JOHN KENNEDY
The National Flood Insurance Program is no longer just a program for hurricane-prone areas. It is a program for the entire U.S., and it needs to be reformed.
Partisan Politics is Unhealthy for America
by TOM REED
The continuation of failed efforts in Congress to avert the Obamacare health care crisis has put a spotlight on its unhealthiest habit: partisan gridlock.
What Would Michel Do?
by BILLY PITTS & TOM TAUKE
In light of today’s gridlock and the need for Congress to reassert its authority, the late Republican Leader’s insights and approach to legislating are needed now more than ever.
To Modernize Congress, Strengthen its Ability to Deliberate
by MATT GLASSMAN
The long-term health of Congress depends on reforming the institution in a way that that strengthens, rather than bypasses, its deliberative features.
From Silicon Valley to Washington, DC
Last December, Matt Cutts officially quit Google to join the U.S. Digital Service. Today, he is helping to lead the effort to modernize the government.
Why Federal IT Systems need to be Brought Into the 21st Century
by TREY HODGKINS
The federal government is one of the last bastions for information technology that was built in a bygone century – some of it approaching 50 years old.
Data-Driven Government
by SCOTT PATTISON
America’s governors and the states they run are using evidence-based techniques such as big data, business intelligence, cloud platforms and redictive analysis to solve public policy problems.
Reactions & Regulation in the Age of Computational Propaganda
by NICK MONACO & SAMUEL WOOLLEY
Regulation against certain uses of disinformation tools, such as bots, would be a welcome development. Legislation targeting digital tools themselves, however, could be detrimental to the internet and free speech.
The EMP Threat Facing the United States
by TOMMY WALLER
For those able to execute an unconstrained analysis of today’s threat environment, the single most urgent concern for America is what threatens her electric grid.
