Government must focus on results, not red tape. Simplify most law into legal principles, such as in the Constitution, so that public servants have responsibility to get the job done.

Nothing works unless a person makes it work. Bureaucracy fails because it suffocates human initiative with central dictates. Bureaucracy demeans people, preventing us from acting on our perceptions, values and common sense. Giving people the freedom to make a difference is essential for our fulfillment and self-respect.

Any broken link in the chain of accountability disables democracy. Officials must be accountable for results. Only then can political leaders also be accountable. Accountability is the currency of a free society. Unless there’s accountability all around, officials and citizens soon find themselves tangled in red tape dictating daily choices. That’s why accountability is essential to restoring meaning and honor to public service.

Too few government programs work as intended. Many are obsolete. Most squander public and private resources with bureaucratic micromanagement. They need to be repealed or re-built, to stop waste and to replace red tape with accountability. Rebooting old programs will release vast public resources for current needs, such as infrastructure, climate change, income stagnation, and reducing the deficit. Campaign rules should also be rebooted; almost any changes that disrupt existing political structures will be useful.

Responsibility works for communities as well as individuals: Give local organizations more control and ownership of public services. Just as planning for pandemics requires national competence, coping with a spreading pandemic requires local leadership and adaptability.

Sue-for-anything justice has infected the culture with debilitating defensiveness. Instead of striding towards our goals, Americans tiptoe on eggshells because any disagreement or accident can erupt into a years-long legal ordeal. Responsibility is the only cure here as well: Judges must take responsibility to act as gatekeepers, drawing boundaries of reasonable claims as a matter of law. Create expert health courts to restore trust in patient relations.

Public trust is essential to a healthy culture. This requires officials to adhere to basic moral values—especially truthfulness, the golden rule and stewardship for the future. All laws, programs and rights must be justified for the common good. Every public dollar involves a moral choice. No one should have rights superior to anyone else.