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A Brief History of Vice President Al Gore’s
National Partnership for Reinventing Government
During the Administration of President Bill Clinton
1993-2001

The National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR), originally the National Performance Review, was the Clinton-Gore Administration's interagency task force to reform and streamline the way the federal government works. It was the eleventh federal reform effort in the twentieth century. In creating NPR on March 3, 1993, President Clinton said: “Our goal is to make the entire federal government less expensive and more efficient, and to change the culture of our national bureaucracy away from complacency and entitlement toward initiative and empowerment.” ¹

Based on the President’s challenge, Vice President Gore set out to create a government that “works better, costs less, and gets results Americans care about.” The President asked the Vice President to report on the findings of this National Performance Review within six months. Vice President Gore, however, went far beyond preparing a report and led an effort that evolved into the longest-running and most successful reform effort in U.S. history to date. After the initial report, the NPR team undertook the implementation of the many recommendations, then conducted a second round of reviews in 1995. In the second Clinton-Gore term, NPR changed its mission, approach – and name -- to focus on leading a fundamental culture change in the government.

Contents

From Red Tape to Results: Creating a Government That Works Better and Costs Less -- 1993

Implementing the Original Set of Recommendations -- 1994

Phase II of the Performance Review: Creating a Common Sense Government -- 1995

Governing in a Balanced Budget World: A New Challenge -- 1996

Reinvention in the Second Clinton-Gore Administration: Changing The Culture of Government Agencies -- 1997-2001

Did NPR Make a Difference?

Appendices

A -- List of NPR Reports and Publications

B -- List of NPR Presidential Directives Signed Between September 1993 and December 2000

C -- List of Laws Signed by President Clinton Containing NPR Recommended Actions, 1993-2000

2000

D – List of Reinvention Websites

E -- List of High Impact Agencies

F – NPR Accomplishments, 1993-2000

Prepared by John Kamensky
January 12, 2001