We at OPM provided leadership in obtaining the buyout legislation that has made it possible for more than 30,000 non-defense employees to leave their jobs voluntarily. Those former OPM employees are now the owners of a new, private company, US Investigations Services, Inc., that carries out background investigations not only for the federal government, but for local governments and private companies, and they are showing every promise of financial success. We think USIS can be a model for other privatizations in the future, as downsizing continues in both the public and the private sector. In all these ways, the Administration has downsized with concern not only for the bottom line but for the lives of the people involved. But downsizing is only one element of reinvention.
Partnership is another.
So is procurement reform. So is the increased use of modern technology. So are decentralization and a war on needless regulations and red tape. All of these reforms have been underway in the past four years, and they have both improved customer service and in the process had an impact on public opinion. In addition to reinvention, I think two other recent events also had a major impact on how Americans view their government.