Can We Govern Better? Here’s What I’m Learning and Doing

Kelly Dwyer
Apr 15
6 min read

Updated: Apr 16

For someone who spent years in student government—middle school, high school, even attending two ridiculously fun national student council conferences—I’ve spent surprisingly little time engaging with our country’s government processes as an adult. I vote. Yes, I vote. But that’s about it.

My civic engagement has been pretty weak, and I feel pangs of conscience about that. I’ve taken it for granted that our government has good intentions, operates fairly well, and responsibly manages our tax dollars. I’ve admired those who choose civil service as a career path, but I’ve never felt personally responsible for participating beyond the voting booth.

I’ve mostly avoided political conversations. Too often, people form black-and-white opinions without really understanding the bigger picture—or even trying to see more than one perspective. And truthfully, it’s hard (maybe impossible) to fully grasp the whole picture. Government and politics are complex systems. Life is full of nuance, and nuance is messy, complicated, and full of paradox. It doesn’t fit neatly into the soundbites we scroll past every day.

The complete villainization of “the other side” is, to me, a waste of time—whether that’s left to right or right to left. It shuts down the possibility of acknowledging that both sides have valid concerns. And if we can’t acknowledge that, how can we ever solve anything together? People support what they help create. When half the population’s perspective is ignored, any proposed “solution” will be half-baked—and likely face resistance or sabotage in implementation.

A friend once told me, “If only one person is happy in a marriage, it’s not a happy marriage.” I think about that a lot when I think about our country. We are polarized, seemingly split in two. Though in reality, we’re probably more of a triad—left, center, and right—than a true duality. According to a 2021 Gallup poll, 37% identify as moderate, 36% as conservative, and 25% as liberal. Regardless, we’re in a marriage. And for too long, not enough of us have been happy. I want us to have a happy marriage.

At the time I’m writing this, Trump is back in office, with both the Senate and the House under Republican control. Like many people I know, I’m stunned by the volume, breadth, and audacity of the changes this administration is pushing through. I have opinions about these choices and their impacts, but that’s not what this post is about. Instead, I find myself wondering: How did we get here?

Pete Buttigieg captured it well in a podcast with Jon Stewart: “The bottom line is if the economy and the government were working the way they should for most Americans, a guy like Donald Trump and a movement like Trumpism would not have been possible.”

What I’ve learned:

Recently, I’ve started listening to podcasts and reading more about how government actually works. I've included a resource list at the end of the post. Here are a few things that have stuck with me:

Passing a law is just the beginning. Getting it implemented on the ground is a bureaucratic nightmare. The process is convoluted, inefficient, and often hijacked by special interests. The opposition party may actively sabotage the rollout of legislation they opposed. I used to think “regulation” meant industry regulation. Now I see how heavily regulated the government itself is—often to its own detriment. Rural broadband and high-speed rail projects are prime examples of how hard it is to get big things done.
We’re wasting tax dollars due to poor implementation. And that frustrates me. The government gets a good chunk of my income. I want it to be used wisely—for the good of our society, country, and environment —not lost in a bureaucratic tangle.
The government should measure speed alongside other values like equity and environmental impact. It’s not enough to mean well—we need results. I’m here for that.
Implementation is not only slowed by decades of accumulated rules. Outdated technology is also a major factor—some systems go back to the 1960s (hello, COBOL!). It’s like trying to run a modern app on a floppy disk.
Liberals sometimes slow things down by trying to solve every issue with one policy. For example, a rural broadband plan is expected to also tackle racial and income inequality and climate change. This desire to solve everything at once can create gridlock. Marc Dunkelman argues that liberals could make blue zones shining examples of effective government if they focused on streamlining and getting out of their own way.
Weaponizing the judicial system to block change is a double-edged sword. I don’t have a solution here—just a growing awareness that we need one.
There is a role for government. Capitalism excels at efficiency, but it doesn’t care about people. One expert put it well: “Government must do what the private sector won’t.” That includes funding research, building essential infrastructure, and ensuring people can care for themselves and their families—especially when capitalism fails them.
The two-party system is strangling us. Closed primaries empower the extremes and sideline moderates. Because of gerrymandering, whoever wins the primary often wins the election. That doesn’t serve the country—it serves parties. I’m not for one party over another. I’m for the United States.

What I want:

Government reform. A strong, capable civil service that can make decisions and get things done. Less risk aversion and reduced susceptibility to judicial challenge by special interest groups.
Election reform. More choice. Open primaries. Ranked-choice voting. I want passionate, capable leaders with the best ideas to win—not just those backed by one of two dominant parties. And yes, I want stronger limits on money in politics.
A political system where the power of lobbyists and special interests is balanced by the power of the people.
A shared understanding of what’s real in this country.
A shared vision of where we want to go.
A shared definition of the government’s role.
Better collaboration.
A more harmonious way of living together.

What I’m doing:

I joined the Forward Party and started volunteering with the Colorado chapter.
I hope to use my facilitation and group process skills to help the CO Forward Party—and other groups working toward similar goals—make decisions, build plans, and take action to create meaningful change.
I’m continuing to learn. Below is a list of media I’ve been engaging with. If you have podcast episodes, articles, or books to recommend, send them my way!

Resouce List

Podcasts/Shows:

Media I’ve consumed in the last 2-3 months that have informed my views. Host or columnist is listed first.

Books:

Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher
- This one is about big tech. It’s compelling (I had a hard time putting it down) and kind of depressing. I love that Kara, as a journalist, has covered tech since the 90s. I think her intense focus on tech over the last three+ decades gives her a credibility that not many have about how tech has impacted us, for the good and bad.
The War on Normal People: The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future by Andrew Yang
- He was early on his predictions of automation and AI disrupting a large swath of jobs and creating widespread unemployment, however, I do believe the possibility of this scenario is high. I knew nothing about the concept of universal basic income before reading this book. It’s an interesting concept. Only time will reveal the impact that AI is going to have on us.
Recoding America: why government is failing in the digital age and how we can do better by Jennifer Pahlka
- I’m reading this one right now. Jennifer is the founder of Code for America and served as a Deputy Chief Technology Officer in the Obama administration. FYI, Code for America is a non-profit organization that uses technology to improve how government serves the public. They focus on building digital tools, changing policies, and improving programs to make government more accessible and effective at all levels of government, including local, state, and federal.

Still to Read:

Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
THE HOW WE NEED NOW: A CAPACITY AGENDA FOR 2025 AND BEYOND by Jennifer Pahlka Andrew Greenway
Why nothing works: who killed progress, and how to bring it back by Marc Dunkelman
Who is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service by Michael Lewis
Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity by Yoni Appelbaum