Institute for Responsive Government
@responsivegov.bsky.social
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:
How? By cutting out the middlemen with corporate markups: Pharmacy Benefit Managers.
Read it here:
Cutting out the Middleman: How States Can Save Medicaid Dollars by Firing Pharmacy Benefit Managers - Institute for Responsive Government
responsivegov.org
November 17, 2025 at 4:13 PM
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:
How? By cutting out the middlemen with corporate markups: Pharmacy Benefit Managers.
Read it here:
The proposal also creates a producer group of election technology manufacturers to better coordinate the ecosystem.
October 28, 2025 at 6:24 PM
The proposal also creates a producer group of election technology manufacturers to better coordinate the ecosystem.
Their proposal, which won 2nd place, envisions federal legislation that directs a portion of pre-existing funding sources for transportation and cyberaccess towards modernizing voter registration systems at state DMVs and improving state/local election office technology.
October 28, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Their proposal, which won 2nd place, envisions federal legislation that directs a portion of pre-existing funding sources for transportation and cyberaccess towards modernizing voter registration systems at state DMVs and improving state/local election office technology.
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.
October 28, 2025 at 6:24 PM
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.
Check out the piece referenced by @besttrousers.bsky.social on @donmoyn.bsky.social's Can We Still Govern here: donmoynihan.substack.com/p/what-can-b...
What can be learned from states that made good faith efforts with work requirements?
Lessons from New Hampshire
donmoynihan.substack.com
September 3, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Check out the piece referenced by @besttrousers.bsky.social on @donmoyn.bsky.social's Can We Still Govern here: donmoynihan.substack.com/p/what-can-b...
Important read from @civicdesign: Their four principles for designing clear, effective government forms:
1β£ Make it trustworthy.
2β£ Explain the problem clearly.
3β£ Be specific about the problem.
4β£ Tell them how to take action successfully.
More here: civicdesign.org/form-letters...
1β£ Make it trustworthy.
2β£ Explain the problem clearly.
3β£ Be specific about the problem.
4β£ Tell them how to take action successfully.
More here: civicdesign.org/form-letters...
civicdesign.org
September 3, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Important read from @civicdesign: Their four principles for designing clear, effective government forms:
1β£ Make it trustworthy.
2β£ Explain the problem clearly.
3β£ Be specific about the problem.
4β£ Tell them how to take action successfully.
More here: civicdesign.org/form-letters...
1β£ Make it trustworthy.
2β£ Explain the problem clearly.
3β£ Be specific about the problem.
4β£ Tell them how to take action successfully.
More here: civicdesign.org/form-letters...
Reposted by Institute for Responsive Government
My Statement on Trumpβs Proposed Executive Order to Ban Mail-In Voting
August 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM
My Statement on Trumpβs Proposed Executive Order to Ban Mail-In Voting
President Trump has no authority to upend state voting policies.
Vote by mail is critical to millions of American voters, especially rural voters, elderly voters, and the many eligible voters who have to work on Election Day.
Read our full statement:
Vote by mail is critical to millions of American voters, especially rural voters, elderly voters, and the many eligible voters who have to work on Election Day.
Read our full statement:
New Responsive Gov Resources: Why President Trump Canβt Ban Mail Voting or Interfere with Election Equipment - Institute for Responsive Government
responsivegov.org
August 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
President Trump has no authority to upend state voting policies.
Vote by mail is critical to millions of American voters, especially rural voters, elderly voters, and the many eligible voters who have to work on Election Day.
Read our full statement:
Vote by mail is critical to millions of American voters, especially rural voters, elderly voters, and the many eligible voters who have to work on Election Day.
Read our full statement:
Election equipment is also closely monitored, controlled, & checked for accuracy. It undergoes rigorous testing before elections & careful audits afterward, with bipartisan teams watching every step.
Read our factsheet on why voting machines are secure:
Read our factsheet on why voting machines are secure:
Why We Can Trust Voting Machines - Institute for Responsive Government
responsivegov.org
August 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Election equipment is also closely monitored, controlled, & checked for accuracy. It undergoes rigorous testing before elections & careful audits afterward, with bipartisan teams watching every step.
Read our factsheet on why voting machines are secure:
Read our factsheet on why voting machines are secure:
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:
Here are the facts: Voting by mail is safe & secure, with overlapping safeguards at every step of the voting process. Read our factsheet:
Why Mail Ballots Are Secure: Layered Safeguards - Institute for Responsive Government
responsivegov.org
August 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
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:
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.orgβ¬:
More on USCIS's proposed overhaul of the SAVE database via @jonshorman.bsky.social @stateline.orgβ¬:
Trump wants states to feed voter info into powerful citizenship data program β’ Stateline
The Trump administration is developing a powerful data tool it claims will let states identify noncitizens registered to vote. But Democratic critics and data experts warn it could allow the federal g...
stateline.org
August 18, 2025 at 7:56 PM
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.orgβ¬:
More on USCIS's proposed overhaul of the SAVE database via @jonshorman.bsky.social @stateline.orgβ¬:
Responsive Gov is proud that ERIC for Medicaid β a solution we proposed earlier this year β made it into H.R. 1 last month. ERIC for Medicaid is a smart fix that will significantly improve list accuracy and save billions of tax dollars.
Read more about it here:
Read more about it here:
ERIC for Medicaid - Institute for Responsive Government
responsivegov.org
August 18, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Responsive Gov is proud that ERIC for Medicaid β a solution we proposed earlier this year β made it into H.R. 1 last month. ERIC for Medicaid is a smart fix that will significantly improve list accuracy and save billions of tax dollars.
Read more about it here:
Read more about it here:
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 βͺ@sorendayton.bsky.socialβ¬ of FAI:
Important read by βͺ@sorendayton.bsky.socialβ¬ of FAI:
Fixing Duplicate Medicaid Enrollments through Smart Government IT | The Foundation for American Innovation
The Foundation for American Innovation.
www.thefai.org
August 18, 2025 at 6:25 PM
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 βͺ@sorendayton.bsky.socialβ¬ of FAI:
Important read by βͺ@sorendayton.bsky.socialβ¬ of FAI:
Today marks 60 years of CMS β 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 β a plan to cut duplicate enrollments & save billions of dollars: responsivegov.org/on-cmss-60th...
At the same time Medicaid faces damaging cuts, Congress took a promising step by adopting ERIC for Medicaid β a plan to cut duplicate enrollments & save billions of dollars: responsivegov.org/on-cmss-60th...
On CMSβs 60th Anniversary, All Eyes Are on Medicaid - Institute for Responsive Government
responsivegov.org
July 30, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Today marks 60 years of CMS β 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 β a plan to cut duplicate enrollments & save billions of dollars: responsivegov.org/on-cmss-60th...
At the same time Medicaid faces damaging cuts, Congress took a promising step by adopting ERIC for Medicaid β a plan to cut duplicate enrollments & save billions of dollars: responsivegov.org/on-cmss-60th...
The Trump administrationβs 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...
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...
Opinion | Trump, the House and the Epstein Files
www.nytimes.com
July 23, 2025 at 7:21 PM
The Trump administrationβs 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...
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-...
But $400M is what's really needed for secure elections.
Read PEI's full release here: modernizeourelections.org/project-for-...
Project for Election Infrastructure Welcomes Initial Investment, Calls for Additional Election Security Funding β Project for Election Infrastructure
modernizeourelections.org
July 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
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-...
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. βIn this case, RCV didnβt mitigate polarization. It arguably masked it.β
Read the full op-ed from our ED, Sam Oliker-Friedland in @thehill.com: thehill.com/opinion/camp...
In reality, it was more complicated. βIn this case, RCV didnβt mitigate polarization. It arguably masked it.β
Read the full op-ed from our ED, Sam Oliker-Friedland in @thehill.com: thehill.com/opinion/camp...
thehill.com
July 22, 2025 at 3:38 PM
In NYC's mayoral race, many saw @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social's win as validation for RCV.
In reality, it was more complicated. βIn this case, RCV didnβt mitigate polarization. It arguably masked it.β
Read the full op-ed from our ED, Sam Oliker-Friedland in @thehill.com: thehill.com/opinion/camp...
In reality, it was more complicated. βIn this case, RCV didnβt mitigate polarization. It arguably masked it.β
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.
ββ¦ itβs really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained.β - Neal Ubriani, Responsive Gov Research Director
More via @jonshorman.bsky.social:
ββ¦ itβs really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained.β - Neal Ubriani, Responsive Gov Research Director
More via @jonshorman.bsky.social:
Trumpβs DOJ wants states to turn over voter lists, election info β’ Stateline
The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states β representing data on millions of Americans β and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raisi...
stateline.org
July 17, 2025 at 7:14 PM
The Department of Justice is seeking voter data on millions of Americans.
ββ¦ itβs really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained.β - Neal Ubriani, Responsive Gov Research Director
More via @jonshorman.bsky.social:
ββ¦ itβs really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained.β - 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.
Governor Glenn Youngkin Issues Executive Order 51 Launching First-in-the-Nation Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) Empowered Statewide Regulatory Review
Governor Glenn Youngkin today issued an executive order launching a first-of-its-kind agentic artificial intelligence (AI) regulatory reduction pilot to ensure that the Commonwealth captures the benef...
www.governor.virginia.gov
July 14, 2025 at 8:31 PM
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.
Updates to stormwater permitting processes have produced another $124 million in savings. The list goes on.
Virginia is modeling a deeply successful, thoughtful, results-based approach to fixing bureaucracy and reducing red tape in the service of everyday Americans.
Virginia is modeling a deeply successful, thoughtful, results-based approach to fixing bureaucracy and reducing red tape in the service of everyday Americans.
July 10, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Updates to stormwater permitting processes have produced another $124 million in savings. The list goes on.
Virginia is modeling a deeply successful, thoughtful, results-based approach to fixing bureaucracy and reducing red tape in the service of everyday Americans.
Virginia is modeling a deeply successful, thoughtful, results-based approach to fixing bureaucracy and reducing red tape in the service of everyday Americans.
Some real impacts for Virginians?
Building Code reforms cut the cost of constructing a new home by over $24,000, saving VA homebuyers $723 million/year.
Faster licensing at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation has cut approval times from 33 days to 5.
Building Code reforms cut the cost of constructing a new home by over $24,000, saving VA homebuyers $723 million/year.
Faster licensing at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation has cut approval times from 33 days to 5.
July 10, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Some real impacts for Virginians?
Building Code reforms cut the cost of constructing a new home by over $24,000, saving VA homebuyers $723 million/year.
Faster licensing at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation has cut approval times from 33 days to 5.
Building Code reforms cut the cost of constructing a new home by over $24,000, saving VA homebuyers $723 million/year.
Faster licensing at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation has cut approval times from 33 days to 5.
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. π§΅
Virginia Shows A Smarter Path To Regulatory Reform
Virginia cut 26.8% of regulatory requirements, saving $1.2B annuallyβoffering a smarter, data-driven alternative to DOGEβs blunt federal cuts at the federal level.
www.forbes.com
July 10, 2025 at 3:53 PM
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. π§΅
Working through significant challenges, the State Department revamped the online system for a process thatβs long been a pain in Americansβ side: renewing or applying for a passport.
The result? A quicker, simpler process; 94% positive reviews; & recorded increased trust in government. Read more:
The result? A quicker, simpler process; 94% positive reviews; & recorded increased trust in government. Read more:
America Has Pulled Off the Impossible. It Made Getting a Passport Simple.
Washington is not exactly known for tech innovation. So how did a team of bureaucrats put their stamp on a new program for renewing passports online?
www.wsj.com
July 7, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Working through significant challenges, the State Department revamped the online system for a process thatβs long been a pain in Americansβ side: renewing or applying for a passport.
The result? A quicker, simpler process; 94% positive reviews; & recorded increased trust in government. Read more:
The result? A quicker, simpler process; 94% positive reviews; & recorded increased trust in government. Read more:
βEvery eligible American should have the opportunity to cast their ballot in an accessible and secure way, and thatβs 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:
Thank you @wyden.senate.gov for reintroducing the Vote At Home Act:
Wyden Reintroduces Bill to Allow All Americans to Vote at Home | U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon
The Official U.S. Senate website of Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon
www.wyden.senate.gov
May 27, 2025 at 4:09 PM
βEvery eligible American should have the opportunity to cast their ballot in an accessible and secure way, and thatβs 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:
Thank you @wyden.senate.gov for reintroducing the Vote At Home Act:
π¨ Big congrats to our friends at HIP β now Health in Partnership! Same vision and values, new name and look to better reflect their current work. π Learn more: www.healthinpartnership.org/message-from...
Message from Co-Directors
www.healthinpartnership.org
May 20, 2025 at 6:27 PM
π¨ Big congrats to our friends at HIP β now Health in Partnership! Same vision and values, new name and look to better reflect their current work. π Learn more: www.healthinpartnership.org/message-from...