A
Good American President
James A. Rodger,1 and James A. George2
Department of Management Information Systems,
Indiana University PA, Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA
jimgeorgeauthoerarchway@gmail.com2
Abstract
James
A. George and Dr James A. Rodger collaborated on a variety of initiatives
in support of US Federal Government clients for over twenty years. Both have
served Fortune 500 Company clients. They published How to Select an American President © 2017 Archway Publishing, and Regenerating America with Sustainable
Economics © 2017 Archway Publishing. Before that, they published Smart Data, Enterprise Performance
Optimization Strategy © 2010 Wiley Publishing.
This
paper addresses the meaning of a “good American President,” as an instance of
word-sense disambiguation (WSD).
Keywords—Word-sense
Disambiguation (WSD), American President, the meaning of “good,” in a political
context, Similarity, Score Equivalence, Group Knowledge Model, Formal
Concept Analysis, Government Performance Results Act (GPRA)
Predicting the possibility of being a “good American
President’ is founded on certain information discovered while vetting the
candidate included in resumes and certifications. Incumbent Presidents’ past-performance provides
some validation about defined criteria. Sources of deriving criteria include 1)
the President’s job model, 2) incumbents’ task performance, and 3) behavioral
characteristics that include a profile and specific actions measured against
expectations.
The
book, How to Select an American President
by the authors © 2017 Archway explains the process in copious detail. This
paper is different because it addresses the facets and considerations that make
a “good president.” What is “good” in this context? Define and describe the
context?
The
corresponding project focuses on the most specific and concrete terms. The
challenge remains daunting even in a simplified example. However, when applying
the power of information technology, data facts, math, and algorithms, then understanding
becomes more manageable.
Without
the application of advanced technology and tools to support voters in a
democratic republic, citizens are overwhelmed by their responsibility to engage
their government. A “good citizen” must be actively involved in government at
every level beginning in the village and county, extending to the district and
host state, and continuing to the federal government. Making good citizenship
seem easy is a disservice to democracy. Denying adequate support by political
parties to assist voters is equally undermining. That is why research such as
this is essential to improve the system.
1. Presidential Context
For
this project, the lifecycle of a president begins when they become a declared
candidate and put their resume and credentials on the public record for
interrogation, vetting, and evaluation. Political parties, the media, and
voters have roles to play in performing candidate evaluations. Anyone
considering becoming a President can use this information to become better
prepared and qualified.
Selecting
candidates for elected office is one of predicting who will likely perform the
best in executing the job tasks, and who will best represent the citizen’s
needs, values, and beliefs. The voter’s job is akin to hiring a job candidate.
It is like being a job applicant and having to submit a resume and
application. As candidates, citizens are looking for ability, and as incumbents,
citizens evaluate how well they applied it.
Any
information on the resume and in the application that cannot be verified and
validated is suspect. Any information that is found to be inaccurate or a lie should
disqualify the candidate at once. The book, How
to Select an American President, suggests specific criteria for
consideration. The US Constitution is unhelpful in defining requirements
because the Founders likely believed that subsequent generations would continuously
upgrade and improve them. Instead, citizens have left it to vagueness that is a
deficiency.
Citizen-voters
depend on political parties to verify and validate candidates bearing the
party’s name and brand. They also rely on the media to probe and investigate.
The American Political System is open and largely informal, therefore citizens
must be wary, vigilant, and attentive about what the candidates say.
The
second phase of a presidential candidate is incumbency. Once they have been
elected for one four-year term, citizens have an active and first-hand amount
of information to continue to evaluate performance.
There
is another phase in the context, and that has to do with the effect of incumbent
Presidential policies and actions that begin with immediacy and project into
the future, well-beyond the term in office.
Voters
must predict who will perform best, and predict the success of presidential
performance in outcomes measured in immediacy and for the life if their
actions.
1.1.
Outcomes
Throughout the range of tasks, the President analyzes, evaluates,
approves and directs the allocation of the government’s resources to perform work
and produce required outcomes. Only Congress can fund the work of government.
Achieving the highest return on cost is a president’s responsibility.
American citizens have every right to expect the following outcomes
listed in relative priority:
1. Human
rights as defined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, to which the USA is a signatory supported 100%
2. The
US Constitution and The Bill of Rights guaranteed 100%
3. The
Rule of Law supported 100%
4. Nation
secured economically - 100%
5. Nation
has a sustainable economy - 100%
6. Clean
air and water - 100%
7. Nation
secured militarily - 100%
8. Best
education in the world - #1
9. Homeland
secured from foreign and domestic terrorists - 100%
10. Employment
opportunities for all who can work - 100%
11. Upward
mobility for all who are prepared commensurate with ability - 100%
12. All
persons provided minimal sustainment as a baseline to start - 100%
13. Social
security assured for all persons - 100%
14. Freest
nation in the world - #1
15. Lowest
crime rate in the world - #1 in least crime per capita
Let’s discuss the outcomes and their relative priority.
America, the nation, is defined by the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights,
however, those elements of the American Political System are subordinated to
the larger principle of human rights for every citizen on the planet. That is
why this list begins with “The Universal Declaration” and that is a teaching
point for many citizens because equality for all begins with those propositions
and instruments. The rule of law, “the restriction of the arbitrary exercise of
power by subordinating it to well-defined and established laws,” is essential
to all the rest.
A nation must be secured economically or else it is not viable and unable to care for citizens as they expect in a democratic
republic. A nation must generate sufficient tax revenue to support its
obligations. It must not spend more that it can afford and that is reflected in
the debt and deficit.
It is essential that citizens come to agreement about
the purpose of government. The primary purpose of government is to create an
environment in which individuals and their corporations can thrive in a free-market
economy. To what extent do citizens agree with that proposition? The purpose of
government is to optimize return on the nation’s resources in partnership with
citizens and their public and private corporations.
The rule of law applies
internally and externally among trading partners and allies. Without that
protection, there is no economic integrity and security.
Expectations about the
economy have evolved into the concept of sustainable economics that is
accomplished by balancing economic, social, and environmental responsibilities.
Having sustainable economics is dependent on developing and field renewable
energy systems. Renewable energy is a national requirement to be accomplished
in public and private partnership as part of the national infrastructure.
Humanity cannot survive
and thrive without clean air and water.
A nation state must
secure its integrity with military power as long as the rogue and hostile nations
exist.
Having an education
system that produces superior students and citizens that compete in the global
economy is essential as is providing sufficient employment opportunity with
corresponding upward mobility.
Impoverishment must be
illegal. That is, everyone is ensured a minimal sustainment, as a baseline to
start.
Now, consider this idea in a very personal manner. What
do people need as a matter of necessity at various stages in their life cycles?
Necessities
In the beginning:
· All
citizens have affordable healthcare for their lifetime
· All
citizens have affordable housing, food, and access to essential transportation
· Parents
have work to perform to earn a living and to attend their obligations
· Community
has police and fire protection to make the home safe
· Community
has excellent schools that are accessible to young citizens
· Geniuses
are provided opportunities to learn at a rate commensurate with their abilities
based on their performance
· All
children are encouraged to perform to their optimum ability as a matter of
personal responsibility and self-reliance
· Opportunities
are planned for, scaled to the demographics of the emerging population
Upon high school graduation:
· HS
graduates have access to college to prepare for professions and vocations
· All
graduates, HS and college have access to work to earn a sustainable living
· All
HS graduates have access to low interest or no interest education and training
loans
Upon college and training graduation or completion:
· Graduates
have access to job opportunities commensurate with their abilities
· Graduates
who seek to become entrepreneurs have access to capital resources commensurate
with their plans and preparation
· Graduates
may expect government and private enterprise to produce sufficient upward
mobility to support their advancing preparation and development
As working citizens in professions, occupations,
vocations, and jobs:
· Citizens
may expect the opportunity to save and invest a portion of their earnings to
enhance their well-being
· Citizens
may expect programs from both the private sector and government to support
planned retirement
· All
citizens may expect to live a good life in the absence of poverty providing
that they commit to performing to the best of their ability
What can citizens expect from their earnest labor and
for being responsible citizens? Needed is a system that ensures exceptional
reward and incentives for exceptional performance. Needed is a system that
contains a balance of consequences such that poor performance is discouraged,
or punished. That system needs to be shared throughout society in both private
and government enterprise.
Should that system be a free-for-all or a natural
accidental occurrence such as by invisible hands, or should it be more
deterministic by a visible government that operates by the hands of We the
People?
Being a responsible and self-reliant citizen who
exhibits social and environmental responsibility is a sustainment position in a
healthy economy.
1.2.
Task Performance
There
are six primary tasks performed by a president.
s, and been fourteen years a resident.”
Task 1: Planning, staffing, organizing, and scheduling Presidential work and government functions
Subtask 1.1: Recruit and staff the cabinet and department and agency appointments
Subtask 1.2: Conduct cabinet meetings to develop and implement strategies and policies for accomplishing the nation’s workload and issues
Subtask 1.3: Define the nation’s outcomes and priorities for each major department and agency to produce the nation’s strategic plan
Task 2: Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Task 3: Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Task 4: Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Task 5: Report progress and discuss issues with the American public to keep them informed
Task 6: Meet with heads of state and participate in international meetings and conferences for heads of state
Subtask 6.1: Participate in international economic conferences
Subtask 6.2: Respond to international crises and requests for assistance
Subtask 6.3: Promote democratic process and reforms
Given these six primary tasks, citizens should expect to see the candidate having experience in these areas in the context of having managed a very large organization in government or private enterprise.
1.3. Qualifications
Qualification for a President of the United States begin with statutory requirements as defined in the Constitution and they are minimal:
“No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five year
Knowledge, Skill, Experience, and Proficiency
Requirements are
derived from the President’s Job Model and from a thorough consideration of all
President’s past performance.
The
operating environment of the US Government is one of collaboration and
consensus in a pluralistic structure. The government is a system of systems,
governed by laws and regulations where elected officials should possess
knowledge of the law and knowledge of systems engineering.
Quoting
from How to Select an American President:
“Education
A president of the U. S. A. in the 21st Century should
be expected to have graduated from an accredited college or university with a
Bachelor’s Degree. A Master’s Degree is surely preferred and a Doctorate would
be highly respected. Should it matter how well the candidate performed in
school? We think so.
Should the quality of the educational institution
matter? We believe that prestige of the college or university on academic merit
matters as it does so in evaluating people in private enterprise. Candidates
that were formerly good students, above average, should matter. Therefore, when
designing the ultimate selection and evaluation tool, we will allow voters to
add extra credit for quality and performance.
Graduating is good but not good enough. What also
matters are the fields of study, the curriculum. In our review of
pre-presidential resumes, we saw that in past times, before colleges and
universities, presidents had very distinguished tutors.
It matters today from whom presidential candidates
studied or were mentored. Are their sources of learning and mentoring
distinguished for excellence?
Curriculum Major Areas of Study
The job of President is Chief Executive of the Federal
Government Enterprise that includes all of its departments and agencies. While
it would not be reasonable for a presidential candidate to be an expert in
every aspect of the federal government, it is reasonable to expect candidates
to be 1) knowledgeable about the U. S. Constitution and three branches of
government, 2) knowledgeable about management functions and disciplines, and 3)
that candidates are knowledgeable about primary areas of government
responsibility such as national defense and homeland security, justice, foreign
policy, health and human services, energy, and the environment for instance.
We would be remiss not to identify an obviously relevant
subject and that is the law itself. Since a president initiates laws and
supports the implementation of laws and regulations and is inextricably
involved in proposing and approving laws, it makes sense that knowledge about
law is most significant.
Considering academic sources of management knowledge is
only one source from which candidates may obtain knowledge as we will also
consider work experience separately.
Did the candidate study with intent to become a
government professional or did the candidate choose a business or technical
professional goal? Some voters may assign greater value for private sector
orientation than public sector and vice versa. Our system of evaluation allows
for that type of voter preference variation: public sector or private sector
career orientation.
Another consideration in addition to management
knowledge is technical knowledge. If the primary aim of a president is to
optimize government performance, then this requires a command of enabling
technology that includes information technology as well as more specific
knowledge such as systems engineering, systems integration, computer science,
biotechnology, environmental science, nuclear science, healthcare, and more
specifics.
Foreign policy and public administration are separate
specialized fields of study that map to presidential needs.
Skills
Managerial skills in a contemporary paradigm
include the following:
·
Planning
·
Budgeting
·
Strategizing
·
Predicting and
forecasting
·
Decision making
·
Sense making
·
Integrating
·
Collaborating and
facilitating (aka organizing)
·
Acquisition,
logistics, procurement
·
Financing
·
Safety and security
The authors published a more comprehensive set
of management skills in our book, Smart Data, Enterprise Performance
Optimization Strategy © 2010 Wiley Publishing.
In addition to cognitive learning that is
represented by knowledge requirements, and skills that were just presented,
there is another category to consider called affective.
Affective
“An
attribute of the human experience that describes feelings or emotions and
sometimes attitudes or values; often used to describe learning objectives or
outcomes.” This is the area of attitude about which Dr. James David Barber
talks about as we will discuss.
Values
include:
·
Allegiance to the
Constitution and laws and regulations
·
Loyalty to party and
community
·
Appreciation for
diversity and collaboration
·
Cherishing and
relishing the opportunity for bipartisan collaboration
Work History (Sources of applying knowledge, acquiring new knowledge,
and applying and developing skills and proficiency)
Voters should want presidential candidates who
have had work experience of significant scope and scale to illustrate that they
can handle managing the most sophisticated enterprise on Earth.
·
Private Sector: Consideration of a candidates work history as it might
appear on a resume is important whereby focus is given to demonstrated
advancement and managerial responsibility, especially corporate executive
(C-level) experience. This is the source of applying knowledge and
developing managerial skills. For presidential candidates, voters are looking
for demonstrated success at commanding and leading complex organizations toward
achieving world class performance. Has the candidate achieved recognition among
peers in the corporate community and public? Has the candidate demonstrated
ability to achieve a high return on resources?
·
Public Service: Similar consideration is given to public service. In the
instance of evaluating presidential candidates, having had managerial or CEO
experience is significant. Public Service includes the candidate having served
in the capacity of Congressman, Senator, or Governor or Mayor. Having been
elected to office is relevant experience. Having served in an executive capacity
is most valuable. Having served in government provides the basis for
understanding the legislative and budgeting process as that is a major role and
responsibility.
·
Military Service: In the instance of military history that is a form of
public service, we consider the following:
o
Military occupation
o
Officer,
Non-Commissioned Officer – having graduated from a military institution with
distinction is on par with having been an ROTC graduate from a distinguished
educational institution. Having achieved veteran status is noteworthy of
special distinction.
o
Enlisted, Drafted,
National Guard
o
Duration of service
o
Commands
o
Wars and battles
o
Awards and
Certifications
·
Public Service: Has the candidate become an active leader in a political
party? Some past presidents have been independent of political parties, though
today, political parties are a pool from which to draw for staffing, for
instance. With the need for bipartisanship in government, presidential
candidates must manage affiliation with sensitivities to the voter population
and greater constituency. Are parties a means to an end or are parties the
means for control? Good question for presidential candidates. Good question for
voters.
·
Volunteering: This may be relevant as an indication of propensity to
serve, and role and responsibility as a volunteer with impact on accomplishment
is noteworthy.
·
Family: Consideration is given to having overcome hardships, for
instance. Relationships with family members may be insightful.
·
Community: Consideration is given to leadership and issues advocacy,
for example.
·
Faith: We thought about not assigning a value for religious
affiliation as relevance will show up in other factors and this is private to
individuals. Furthermore, there are alternative sources from which people
develop their principles. In America, to many people, being faithful is
significant. Because 60% of Americans are faithful and guided by religion,
special treatment is given to the topic at the end of this chapter.
·
Pays taxes: The presidential candidate is expected to have paid taxes
and not to have any tax liability.
·
Income and new
worth: Income and net worth of a
presidential candidate are relevant as this information is used in obtaining a
top-secret and higher level security clearance. It connotes that the candidate
is financially sound and is less corruptible.
·
No legal
encumbrance: Of course a presidential
candidate cannot have been a felon and is expected to be without legal
encumbrance.
·
Marital status: While nearly all Presidents have been married, this factor
is not so relevant except to know about the spouse to the extent that the
spouse will not detract from the Presidency in any way. Throughout history,
president’s spouses have played significant roles in strengthening presidents
and their performance. Infidelity with a spouse is akin to broken allegiance.
It is a behavioral deficiency worth deliberating.
·
Incumbency
Once a candidate becomes a president, that is a
steep hurdle and no one can underestimate the value of holding the office and
gaining experience from it. As former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), said in
an interview on WKCL-AM, “To a large extent, no matter what us Republicans do,
an incumbent president either wins or defeats himself.”
Presidential Health
Voters need to make a judgment about
presidential candidates’ health. They can do it blindly or with the candidates’
cooperation.
We advocate the establishment of a procedure for
medical examinations of presidential candidates and reporting the state of
their health.”
2. Operating Environment
2.1 Commonality
All governments have one thing in common, observes Daniel
S. Appleton, “They all redistribute wealth.” No matter what the form of
governance and economy, governments and their leaders make decisions on what
and how the wealth of nations will be spent. They make determinations about
their discretion to spend based on judgments about the elasticity of their
decisions.
In the global economy, trading partners and the
aggregate body of global governance determine the accuracy and truthfulness,
and the viability of nation-state decisions. The aggregate body of governance
can be formal organizations and arrangements of international law and
agreements, or it can be informal realized through the behavior of nation
states toward one another in trade and defense policies.
2.2 Optimizing the Return on National Resources
Our work as described in our books, suggests that the
ultimate responsibility of governments is to ensure the optimal return on
“national” resources. Observe that it not the same as “natural resources,”
though natural resources are included along with arable land, materials,
capital, people, infrastructure and technology assets. What is the optimal
ratio of population size and demographics to available and addressable
resources? The answer lies deep in the data.
Since humanity on the small planet Earth is dependent on
clean air and water, governments must ensure that the resources are protected
and provided to citizens. Debate about climate change and the effect of
industrialization and overpopulation on the environment all stem from the
necessity to balance economic, social, and environmental responsibility in
triple-bottom-line accounting.
The Chinese government must weigh the effect of
industrial development on the environment just as does the US government.
Hazards to local citizens and the cost of healthcare and the resulting calamities
must be weighed in both the immediate and long-term.
Opportunities for invention and innovation lies in the
pursuit of solutions that stem overpopulation and guide people to live and
prosper in the locations and systems that afford a good life for them.
2.3 Defining a Good Life
From A President’s
Manifesto by James A. George © 2019 All Rights Reserved, Chapter 3: A Good
Life for All Citizens for an Entire Lifetime:
“When the nation has a considerable amount of debt and
when there is a revenue shortfall with mounting deficit, those are significant
trouble indications. At the end of the George W. Bush presidential term in
2007, America was facing a financial collapse.
Financial distress is an extraordinary problem because
the nation’s security and viability are at stake. Nothing is more important
than managing to restore financial integrity because everything else depends
upon that.
What are some of the possible causes for a nation’s
financial stress?
·
Citizen needs exceed the government’s capacity
to satisfy them.
·
Government commits to doing more than it has the
revenue capacity to achieve.
·
The nation endures disasters from which
resources are insufficient to recover.
·
The nation embarks on foreign policy that
requires military support at a very high cost.
There is a long-standing issue and debate about topics
that are aligned with the causes of financial stress some of which include the
following:
·
The existence of impoverished people in the
presence of others who have a good life and much more.
·
Is it the nation’s purpose to create an economic
environment in which there is a good life for all of its citizens?
·
What is a “good life”?
·
Is it national policy that “poverty” be illegal,
or otherwise eliminated for all persons?
·
Are we willing to ensure equality for all people
in the absence of discrimination?
·
Can women be treated equally at last?
In America today (2019),
unemployment is low and the GDP is up as is the stock market. Wages are
increasing at a slow rate. However, government borrowing and spending results
in enormous debt and deficits. How long can government sustain spending before
the bubble bursts again?
A good life means that
people are able to work to sustain themselves and their families, providing
adequate food, shelter, clothing and transportation to get to school and work.
They require jobs with upward mobile opportunity to improve their skill,
knowledge, and proficiency to the best of their abilities. Impoverishment is
unacceptable as that inhibits individuals from optimizing their contribution to
society no matter what the form of government and economy.
2.4 Private
Sector and Corporate Point of View
Corporations in free-market economies aim to optimize
profits. They set aside profit to compensate executive leadership and talent,
and to reserve capital for continuing improvement, innovation, and invention.
In mixed economies, corporate performance and behavior
is regulated because unmitigated capitalism will maximize profits while
sacrificing social and environmental responsibilities. The role of government
is to create an optimal environment in which they perform while regulating for
the good of the nation-state that is their host and for the worker citizens.
The political debate in America is about how much
regulation is necessary. It is about the rule of law operative in a global
economy.
Looking at corporations as systems and considering their
interaction with government systems is essential to corporations optimizing
their performance with respect for triple-bottom-line accounting of which an
example is provided in the paper as referenced here.
3. Good American President
The challenge is to employ advanced information
technology to map the ontology and to connects the threads such that
information and data are actionable in evaluating presidential candidates and
incumbents.
Here the focus is evaluating an incumbent’s performance.
Dr. Rodger asked to consider the top twenty-five president performance
management considerations. To arrive at a plausible answer, I first created a
matrix with three major columns:
1.
Outcomes
2.
Tasks
3.
Performance Measures and Metrics
Corresponding to
outcomes and tasks is another column called Performance Measures and Metrics.
This approach associates “Outcomes” with “Presidential Tasks” and associated
“Metrics.” Yet, it is flawed and incomplete as explained below.
Outcomes
|
President’s Task Performance
|
Performance Measures & Metrics
|
1. Human
Rights Assured
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international agreements and
commitments.
|
100%
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
|
2. Constitutional/
Bill of Rights Allegiance
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders
resulting in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
100%
The US Department of
Justice Strategic Plan is out of date and noncompliant.
The US President has allegedly obstructed justice and awaits Congressional
action.
The US President
dishonors subpoenas from Congress by directing that they be ignored by the
Executive branch.
|
3.
Rule of Law Followed
|
President’s actions such as Executive Orders comply
with the law.
|
100%
Measures: Court Findings for and against the President.
The US Department of Justice Strategic Plan is out of date and noncompliant.
Many of President Trump’s EOs have been stricken by the court as being
illegal and unenforceable.
|
4. Economic
Security
|
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
|
100%
Measures and Metrics Correspond with all appropriate
Departments and Agencies plans, programs, and budgets.
Budget
Request/Annual Performance Plan and Reports
“The Government Performance and
Results Act Modernization Act (GPRAMA) of 2010 requires Treasury
and other federal agencies to formally monitor and review organizational
performance through strategic reviews, the annual performance plan, and the
annual performance report.”
“The Congressional Justification of Appropriations
(CJ) reflects the President’s Budget request for the Department of the
Treasury and is prepared in accordance with OMB Circular A-11. The CJ
includes agency priorities, requested budget levels, and performance plans
and reports (in accordance with GPRAMA).”
|
5. Sustainable
Economy
|
Task 2: Develop the President’s management
agenda and budget and reconcile with Congress
Subtask 2.1:
Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make adjustments to align
with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2:
Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and schedules
Subtask 2.3:
Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to implement the nation’s
strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of
specific agenda and compliance with international agreements and commitments.
Task 3: Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1:
Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2:
Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3:
Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the development of policies
and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4:
Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5:
Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific
plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in specific measurable
outcomes.
Task 4: Implement plans and manage
on-going operations
Subtask 4.1:
Review and evaluate programs that include new acquisitions and on-going
operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate
programs including legacy processes and engineer new ones for accomplishing
and producing required and promised outcomes
Subtask 4.3:
Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
100%
Measures
and Metrics Correspond with all appropriate Departments and Agencies plans,
programs, and budgets.
There
is no requirement for a sustainable economy.
|
6. Environmental
Security
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders
resulting in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
100%
Clean Air and Clean Water
“Planning,
Budget, and Results
EPA’s planning, budget, and
results activities enable EPA to carry out its mission through:
· coordinating
EPA planning efforts and preparing EPA’s Strategic Plan;
· developing
and managing EPA’s budget; and
· reporting
on EPA’s financial and performance results.”
“The Clean
Water Act (CWA) establishes the basic structure for regulating
discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating
quality standards for surface waters. ... Under the CWA, EPA has implemented
pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry.
Mar 11, 2019”
“The Clean
Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7401) is a United States federal law
designed to control air pollution
on a national level. ... The first federal legislation to actually pertain to
"controlling" air pollution was theClean Air
Act of 1963.”
|
7. National
Military Security
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders
resulting in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
100%
Measures
and Metrics Correspond with all appropriate Departments and Agencies plans,
programs, and budgets.
Observe
that the GAO evaluates GPRA implementation by department and agency and
issues a report.
“Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed
the Department of Defense's (DOD) implementation of the Government
Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA).
GAO noted that: (1) the implementation of GPRA within
DOD is in its initial stages and many implementation strategies and key
approaches need to be developed, but DOD has made progress at various
organizational levels in implementing GPRA or strategic planning and
performance measurement initiatives consistent with GPRA; (2) DOD has
developed strategic goals and objectives and is refining a set of performance
measures to meet the planning requirements of GPRA; (3) some subordinate DOD
organizations, building on their experience as GPRA pilots, are developing or
improving strategic planning and performance measurement systems; some other
defense organizations are developing or improving such systems as well; (4)
GAO's work suggests and DOD officials agree that DOD's effectiveness in
implementing the requirements of GPRA may be improved by better hierarchical
linking of goals and performance measures; (5) for example, GAO recently
examined the degree to which DOD's logistics strategic plan provides an
integrated logistics roadmap for the department to support its warfighting
strategy; (6) while the services' strategic plans and initiatives generally
support implementation of the DOD plan, their goals, objectives, and
strategies are not always directly linked; (7) DOD indicated that it will
ensure that the next edition of the DOD Logistics Strategic Plan includes
specific guidance to require the services to link their goals to DOD's; (8)
this is important because, without this goal alignment, DOD may have
difficulty meeting its departmentwide logistics goals, which are to reduce
logistics response time, develop a seamless logistics system, and streamline
the logistics infrastructure; (9) GAO's recent work also found that DOD's
strategic information resources planning effort does not appear to link its
information resources management systems development with recent
initiatives focusing on consolidating or privatizing various areas of
logistics operations; (10) if not linked, DOD could end up spending millions
of dollars on systems designed to support functions that it might not plan to
do or in organizations that might be eliminated; (11) DOD stated that it is
addressing these concerns by preparing a new logistics business systems
strategy; (12) GAO's review of DOD's ongoing GPRA implementation efforts
suggests that hierarchically linked goals and measures will be crucial for
success; (13) DOD must ensure the services implement GPRA at their level and
provide goals that link DOD's department strategic goals with those of lower
level components; and (14) some of the officials assigned GPRA liaison
responsibilities told GAO they did not know what, if anything, they should be
doing to promote GPRA principles within their organizations.”
|
8. Education
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders
resulting in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
|
9. Homeland
Secured
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders
resulting in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
100%
|
10. Full
Employment
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders
resulting in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
100%
|
11. Upward
Workforce Mobility
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting
in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
|
12. All
Citizens minimally sustained
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders
resulting in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
No
Poverty
|
13. Social
Security for all Disabled and Retired
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders
resulting in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
|
14. Free
Nation
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting
in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new
acquisitions and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measurable outcomes.
|
|
15. Low
Crime
|
Task 2:
Develop the President’s management agenda and budget and reconcile with
Congress
Subtask 2.1: Assume responsibility for the legacy agenda and make
adjustments to align with the President’s management agenda or equivalent
Subtask 2.2: Work with cabinet heads to develop performance plans and
schedules
Subtask 2.3: Work with Congressional leadership and collaborate to
implement the nation’s strategy, plans, and programs
Evidence of specific agenda and compliance with international
agreements and commitments.
Task 3:
Initiate and approve legislation
Subtask 3.1: Propose bills to Congress
Subtask 3.2: Consult and advise Congress
Subtask 3.3: Collaborate with industry and business leaders in the
development of policies and regulations of all kinds
Subtask 3.4: Approve or veto legislation
Subtask 3.5: Request a declaration for war from Congress
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders
resulting in specific measurable outcomes.
Task 4:
Implement plans and manage on-going operations
Subtask 4.1: Review and evaluate programs that include new acquisitions
and on-going operations
Subtask 4.2: Evaluate programs including legacy processes and
engineer new ones for accomplishing and producing required and promised
outcomes
Subtask 4.3: Continuously improve
Evidence of specific plans, programs, initiatives and orders resulting in
specific measureable outcomes.
|
|
A President is
responsible for on-going government services, systems, and operations that are
legislated and funded by Congress. Therefore, the first act is to manage the
bureaucracy to deliver required services to the satisfaction of Congress and
Citizen Users.
Second, a President may
propose changes and improvements, including retiring systems and services,
however, that is subject to Congressional approval.
The question is, how
does the US government measure the performance of Departments and Agencies that
are responsible for services delivery? Since the President leads the Executive
branch in staffing all of the departments and agencies, one of the most
important tasks is staffing.
Outcomes
|
President’s Task Performance
|
Performance Measures & Metrics
|
16. Government
Services Delivered
|
Task 1:
Planning, staffing, organizing, and scheduling Presidential work and
government functions
Subtask 1.1: Recruit
and staff the cabinet and department and agency appointments
Subtask 1.2: Conduct
cabinet meetings to develop and implement strategies and policies for
accomplishing the nation’s workload and issues
Subtask 1.3: Define the nation’s outcomes and priorities for each
major department and agency to produce the nation’s strategic plan
|
100%
As legislated and required by law.
Performance is measured by each department and
agency in accordance with Congressional Oversight and Executive Branch
scrutiny.
|
The overarching legislation governing performance management
in the Federal government is The GPRA Modernization Act of 2010.
“The GPRA Modernization Act modernizes the Federal
Government’s performance management framework, retaining and amplifying some
aspects of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA 1993) while
also addressing some of its weaknesses. GPRA 1993 established strategic
planning, performance planning and performance reporting as a framework for
agencies to communicate progress in achieving their missions. The GPRA
Modernization Act establishes some important changes to existing requirements.
The purposes of the GPRA Modernization Act are to:
· Improve
the confidence of the American people in the capability of the Federal
Government, by systematically holding Federal agencies accountable for
achieving program results;
· Improve
program performance by requiring agencies to set goals, measure performance
against those goals and report publicly on progress;
· Improve
Federal program effectiveness and public accountability by promoting a focus on
results, service quality and customer satisfaction;
· Help
Federal managers improve service delivery, by requiring that they plan for
meeting program goals and by providing them with information about program
results and service quality;
· Improve
congressional decision-making by providing more information on achieving
statutory objectives and on the relative effectiveness and efficiency of
Federal programs and spending;
· Improve
internal management of the Federal Government; and
· Improve
usefulness of performance and program information by modernizing public
reporting”
The question today (2019), is the Executive Branch under
incumbent Donald Trump, following the law? Is Congress enforcing the law with
oversight?
#
|
|
Party
|
|
Order Number Range
|
Years in Office
|
Executive Orders Per Year
|
Period
|
45
|
|
Republican
|
|
|
2.31
|
47.6
|
January 20, 2017 – present
|
Executive Orders by Donald Trump
Many Trump Executive Orders have been found illegal by
the Courts. Often, Trump reports inaccurate information about them.
“Discrepancies between White House versions and Federal Register versions
In February 2017, a review of presidential documents
by
USA
Today showed that the
White
House posted inaccurate texts of Trump's executive orders on its
website, conflicting with the official versions published in the
Federal
Register. Most of the differences were minor grammatical or typographic
changes, but there were "two cases where the original text referred to
inaccurate or non-existent provisions of law."
[371] This
raised concerns among advocates for
government transparency; the executive
director of the
Sunlight Foundation said that the
"last-minute edits" to the orders indicated problems with the Trump
administration's "vetting, sign-off, and publication processes for
executive orders."
Meaningless EO’s
“He had done “something that people have wanted
presidents to do for a long time,” a triumphant Trump told the applauding
military families who packed the White House East Room. “We will now ensure
that you have better access to federal jobs.”
Yet 11 months later, the
four-page document he signed in May did no such thing.
The order provided no money, created no policies and
added no hiring authority. It merely required federal officials to post notices
on their websites and draft reports about
an order signed a decade earlier by President George W. Bush,
which allowed agencies to waive competitive hiring requirements
for military spouses in some circumstances.”
Performance
Management: The GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 Compliance
“US Department of Defense FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2020
ANNUAL PERFORMANCE PLAN & FY 2018 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT”
Acknowledgements
The
inspiration for employing the systems engineering paradigm to address
large-scale problems and needs developed from several prominent sources
including:
Andrew
P. Sage, Editor, Wiley Series in Systems Engineering, Wiley Publishing
Daniel
S. Appleton, former President and CEO, D. Appleton Company.
John
Ikerd, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Economist, University of Missouri, USA.
References
Rodger, J., George J. (2010) Smart Data,
Enterprise Performance Optimization Strategy © Wiley Publishing
Budget Request/Annual Performance Plan and Reports
