Paul Light of NYU Wagner to speak at The National Press Club on the thickening layers of US federal government

NYU Wagner Professor Paul C. Light will speak at The National Press Club in Washington, DC on Thursday, October 5, at 9:30 am. His subject will be the size and composition of the government workforce from 1984 to the present day. Professor Light will present two new research papers on the mix of federal, contract, and grant employees that execute the laws of the US federal government and the steady thickening of layers of federal political and career management positions.

Joe Davidson, columnist for The Washington Post, will interview Dr. Light about his research on the growth in the complexity of the federal government workforce and the implications this complexity has for government’s performance and accountability. Davidson will then moderate a panel with Danielle Brian, Executive Director of the Project on Government Oversight, Norman J. Ornstein, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and Professor Light, and field questions from the audience. The dialogue will address the future of the government workforce and propose ideas for simplifying the government’s composition and organization. Thomas W. Ross, President of the Volcker Alliance, will also provide opening remarks.

The event is presented by The Volcker Alliance. A continental breakfast will be provided.  RSVP here