The Vital Center Podcast: Reforming Our Way to Dynamism

In this podcast discussion with the Niskanen Center’s Geoff Kabaservice, Philip Howard offers qualified approval of the Abundance movement that he in some ways anticipated by decades. But he insists that the pruning of excessive rules and procedures must also be accompanied by restoring a role for human judgement: “It’s not simply having less to comply with. It’s actually re-empowering everybody—the teacher in the classroom, the principal, the head of the school, whoever it happens to be—empowering them to do what’s right.”

By the same token, he criticizes Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative for focusing on cutting the things government does but squandering the opportunity to change how the government does things: “There was not even a pretense that they had an idea about how things would work better the day after DOGE.”

AppearancesAndrew ParkMarch 26, 2026Abundance, DOGE, Vital Center

It's in the Air

The world today feels like a rowboat in a storm, with leaders directing their powers towards destruction and disruption. There's no line of sight towards a strong and stable American government.

There's growing consensus, however, that paralytic bureaucracy must be replaced. But replaced with what? DOGE is swinging its wrecking ball without a new governing vision. Democrats seem almost catatonic, calling weakly for more government instead of effective government.

NewslettersAndrew ParkApril 21, 2025DOGE, forum, Abundance