What Americans Want From Government

Hotline Editor Amy Walter has a great column in National Journal, parsing the poll numbers and finding that Americans don't want less government generally, they want more effective government:

But before you go investing in torches and pitchforks, it's important to differentiate between frustration with the way government is working (or, more accurately, not working) and a desire for government to get out of the way. Just because voters aren't happy with government doesn't mean that they don't want government to play a role in their lives. Instead, views of Washington are just as polarized as Washington itself....

In other words, two-thirds of voters would like to see government play an active role in the economy. However, half of those voters aren't convinced that government is equipped to do so competently. This means that voters aren't dismissing the importance of government in their lives. What they are saying is that they want government to do a better job.

This is why I'm frustrated when folks, be they politicians or commentators, dismiss effective government management as a major political issue. Management may not be the name that Americans give to their governmental discontents, but it's frequently at the heart of the things that upset them.