The November election results provoked an intense reaction from many Americans. These reactions, which appeared in real time on election news broadcasts and social media timelines, included everyday working people, media celebrities, television and movie stars, and even politicians past and present, including our own Governor Gavin Newsom, who very quickly announced his plans . to make the state ‘Trump-proof’ with all necessary legal and legislative means.
His plan would theoretically aim to protect California’s progressive policies from any federal manipulation by boosting resources for the attorney general’s office and other government agencies in preparation for long, drawn-out legal battles with the Trump administration. The problem is that this is an exclusively defensive approach to solving a grassroots problem that will survive Trump’s second term.
A much better and proactive approach – and one that would significantly increase the long-term benefits for all Californians – is to improve the effectiveness of our state government.
The results of this year’s elections have spoken volumes about what we have become as a nation and what matters most to our citizens. Most Americans wake up every morning before the sun rises, throw back a cup of coffee, and stretch out for the next 45 years. They work tirelessly for their families and want to be treated fairly and objectively. They want to feel safe and build some measure of economic security for their children.
Fundamental governance creates the space to realize these modest ambitions.
In 1969, Peter Drucker, the influential management consultant, author, and educator, noted in the now-defunct journal Public Interest that the biggest factor in our “disillusionment” with government is that government has not performed.
His remedy applies just as well today. Improving government requires “…the clear definition of the results a policy is expected to produce, and the ruthless examination of the results against these expectations. This in turn requires that we describe in considerable detail what outcomes are expected, rather than contenting ourselves with promises and manifestos.”
Overcoming disillusionment requires achieving results.
California’s government is not getting results, and our disappointment was reflected in the vote, for example, to overwhelmingly pass Proposition 36, which reclassifies certain felonies and drug offenses as felonies. Public security is a fundamental government function that is fundamental to a thriving state.
And there are other fundamental issues that need attention: Promoting a thriving economy requires addressing systemic challenges with balanced policies. Attracting businesses and promoting economic growth through supportive measures – rather than imposing burdensome regulations and legal hurdles – can prevent business exodus, maintain access to crucial goods and services, and support entry-level employment in stand firm.
This approach offers a much less adversarial path to reducing unemployment and bringing California in line with national economic benchmarks.
And nothing requires a “more ruthless examination of the results” than our state’s approach to its homeless population. California needs to finally put someone in charge of tackling homelessness, to get aligned and focus on achieving results that get and keep people off the streets. Likewise, establishing systems for the proper care of those with mental health and substance abuse problems, and creating programs to assimilate legal immigrants into our communities, would provide individuals with a path to a better life and a measure of hope offer a better future.
These are building blocks that would help Californians trust that our political leaders have our best interests at heart. By recommitting to these basic principles, our state can pave the way to achieving much bigger clean air and climate goals. Each new measure builds a layer of protection against potential federal policy shifts and ensures that California’s underlying values and laws remain intact.
Government effectiveness means more than erecting prevention barriers – it means setting clear goals and objectives that will deliver results for voters and establish our state as a model of proactive leadership for years to come.
Bob Stonebrook is a small business owner based in Carlsbad.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: The best way California can prepare for Trump? Restore state government
