It demands that we get across the message that success in government must be measured not by how much blame we can avoid, but by how much real world progress we can achieve. And it leads us, whenever and wherever possible, to harness market methods to achieve public purposes. As Secretary of State, I welcome reinvention, not only for its value to my government, but also for the contributions it is making around the world. Reinvented governments tend to be slimmer, more open and honest. Less waste and corruption engenders higher levels of public trust.
More trust leads to enhanced stability, which is essential to long-term success.
In America, in my experience, no leader has better understood these principles or done more to spread the gospel of good government, or been more effective to taking a hammer to bureaucratic complacency, than Vice President Al Gore. From the day President Clinton asked him to take on the reinvention assignment, the United States has been committed to a government that works better, costs less and delivers results that matter to the American people. Of course, this kind of success is nothing new to Al Gore, and maybe it's because he's so tall, but throughout his career, Al Gore has been able to see further ahead than most. He has made a habit of identifying vital issues as they emerge, mastering their complexities and devising practical solutions, while others are still struggling to discern the nature of the problem. This was true when he convened the first US Senate hearings on biotechnology policy.