Before we ask the American people to change, Government must change. It must work effectively and efficiently if it is to help encourage economic growth. We must restructure our defense and international mechanisms to adjust to the new realities of the post-Cold War era. Moreover, the American people have a right to Government that is honest, that is responsive to their concerns, and that serves them well. The institutions of Government that handle national security and our foreign relations must be redesigned.
Constrained budgets necessitate efficient management of our defense and foreign relations.
In addition, the many new challenges and opportunities of the next decade mean that structures designed for the Cold War must be reorganized so that they can carry out new policy initiatives successfully. The major restructuring of our foreign relations institutions, as announced by the Secretary of State, has begun. Through the consolidation of functions and a one-third reduction in the number of deputy assistant secretaries, we will significantly streamline the operations of the State Department. In addition, the undersecretaries are acquiring new responsibilities, consonant with such new international missions as peacekeeping, democratization, and U.S. economic competitiveness, and such global issues as non-proliferation, the environment, refugees and population. To manage the critical relationship with the countries that were part of the Soviet Union, we have also created the position of Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for the New Independent States.