GovernmentExecutive.com

At an event in Washington this week, Paul C. Light, a professor of public service at New York University and author of the new book A Government Ill Executed, floated an interesting suggestion: Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and John McCain, R-Ariz., he said, ought to team up on legislation to improve the management of the federal government in advance of this fall's election.

The two men have a unique opportunity to push a legislative agenda as presidential candidates. This is, after all, the first time two sitting U.S. senators have faced off against each other in a head-to-head contest for president. It would be very difficult for other members of Congress to oppose legislation backed by their party's standard-bearers.

There's precedent for McCain and Obama to work together. After all, they already have cooperated on legislation to create a database of federal spending information. Light had a couple of specific suggestions for new measures the candidates could promote that would presumably benefit either of them if elected: reducing the number of political appointees and streamlining the appointments process.

The question is, what other agenda items could the two candidates join forces to support?

Maybe we can help answer that right here on GovernmentExecutive.com. So let's open the issue for discussion. Use the comments section below to make specific suggestions about management reform legislation you think McCain and Obama should support. But before we begin, one note on ground rules: Let's try to keep this focused on the issues, not on the respective merits of the candidates.

COMMENTS

• June 26, Jenny Jones said it all. Many other comments are kinda self centered...folks that really don't need anything...lookin' at the world thru a empty paper towel tube. Way to go Jenny, you nailed it in less than 2 sentenances !! kmp kmp Posted July 20, 2008 8:22 PM
• Top 5 issues 1. Bring our Troops home. 2. Fix Social Security. 3. Fix Health Care. 4. Eliminate Pork Barrel Spending. 5. Reduce the Federal Deficit. Jenny Jones Posted June 26, 2008 8:21 AM
• Lots of good suggestions and lots of things that need fixed. How about tax reform, simplify and make it fair (think flat tax) Overhaul medical services including medicare and medicaid. Eliminate all personnel demonstration programs and task OPM to draft legislation for a revised personnel system to be used governmentwide. Hmmm, where to stop, there are so many things broken. Keith Posted June 26, 2008 7:45 AM