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An Honorable ProfessionAuthor: The NewDEAL
Restore your faith in government with An Honorable Profession. Every Thursday, co-hosts Ryan Coonerty and Debbie Cox Bultan sit down with rising state and local Democrats, policy experts, and the nations top political minds for empowering and candid conversations about life in public service and government. Together with their guests which include members of the Biden Administration, state legislators nationwide, and mayors from Americas top cities Ryan and Debbie discuss the biggest issues facing Americans today and the decisive role that state and local leaders play in catalyzing progressive, pragmatic solutions. An Honorable Profession is produced by the NewDEAL. For more AHP and NewDEAL content, visit https://newdealleaders.org/ and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NewDEALLeaders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newdealleaders/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-newdeal/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewDEALLeaders YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NewdealleadersOrg An Honorable Profession is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Language: en Genres: Government, News, Politics Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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How Government Can Get Sh*t Done: Jim Townsend on Public Policy and Legislative Oversight
Episode 273
Thursday, 10 April, 2025
This week, we bring you another episode of our series on How Government Can Get Sh*t Done, as host Debbie Cox Bultan sits down with NewDEAL alumnus Jim Townsend. Jim is a former Michigan state legislator now serving as the Director of the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy, which promotes fact-based legislative oversight as a key to the integrity, transparency, and accountability of the government. Debbie and Jim discuss the false choice between defending institutions that aren’t working and tearing the government to the ground and why DOGE and the current political climate might actually create an opportunity to remake the government to be more responsive and effective. Tune in to learn about the United States’s very first congressional oversight hearing led by General George Washington and about the specific questions policymakers should be asking to ensure that legislation is actually achieving results for constituents. IN THIS EPISODE: • [01:04] Welcome to Jim Townsend and an overview of this episode on local government, public policy, and oversight. • [02:13] What oversight truly is and what good oversight might look like. • [06:16] The very first congressional oversight meeting that happened while George Washington was president. • [08:23] Understanding the foundation of compromise that our democracy is built on. • [10:53] Identifying the opportunity for fundamental reform that exists today. • [15:00] What local lawmakers should consider about oversight on a local level. • [18:21] Policymaking and problem-solving in local government. • [23:06] A current example of oversight that can serve as a model for others. • [26:46] Improving perception around Democratic efforts to improve government rather than demonize it. • [31:14] What originally drove Jim into public service and what keeps him there today.
