Carson Campaign Press Release - Dr. Ben Carson Releases Policy Plan for Government Reform

Alexandria, Va. - December 8, 2015 - Today, Dr. Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, released his plan to reform Washington's bloated and inefficient bureaucracy. The plan is available for download at https://www.bencarson.com/issues/government-reform.

Dr. Carson's policy plan is built around five key concepts: accountability, analysis, reform, taxpayer feedback and public reporting. Chief among these proposals would be the establishment of the first-ever Chief Organizational Architect. This position, designed to bring an objective eye and knowledge of organizational science to the government, would be responsible for reviewing agency structures and systems to find opportunities to reduce waste and increase efficiency.

The federal government is projected to spend $3.7 trillion this year, but the Government Accountability Office estimates that almost $125 billion of the spending in 2014 went to improper payments.

"Generations of politicians have talked about reforming the institutions of government," said Dr. Carson, "but like so many other promises made by career politicians and beltway insiders, it's all been for naught. My government reform plan will bring substantive change to the way Washington works, redirecting the focus of the government back to the people it's supposed to represent."

"For too long, government agencies have grown rampantly, without any forethought or planning," added Dr. Carson. "The Chief Organizational Architect will bring rigor and analytics to government organization, identifying opportunities for streamlining operations and reducing waste. As president, I will bring unprecedented scrutiny and transparency to our government operations, ensuring that federal agencies are better equipped to serve the American people."

The federal government currently consists of roughly 8,000 senior executives, 2.6 million civilian employees and a cadre of federal contractors so large that the Congressional Budget Office is "unaware of any comprehensive information" about its size. By treating the American people as "citizen-owners" of their government, Dr. Carson's plan would bring accountability and accessibility to the Washington bureaucracy and give taxpayers a greater say in their government.