HKS Professor Elizabeth Linos, a behavioral scientist and founder of The People Lab, says the recent government cuts by the Trump administration and its so-called Department of Government Efficiency and the partisan debate over them are missing a key point. Linos says believers in small government and robust government can potentially find common ground in improving the function of government—whatever size it is— for the people it serves. In her work, Linos has identified says there are three pillars to a functioning public sector: people, which means working to recruit, retain and support talented workers; process, which involves turning interactions between citizens and government into positive, trust-building experiences; and feedback loops, where agencies are constantly using data to examine and improve how they’re doing their jobs. In the latest episode of HKS PolicyCast, she talks with host Ralph Ranalli about how the real choice about government isn’t between big or small, but between function and dysfunction. Elizabeth Linos’ recommendations for improving government: * Start by experiencing the process yourself: Try doing the task you're asking others to do (e.g., apply to a program, book an appointment). * Adopt a user-centered mindset: Focus on the user experience to uncover pain points and inefficiencies. * Identify simple, actionable improvements: Small barriers (like hard-to-find forms or lack of childcare) often reveal easy fixes. * Don’t underestimate small changes: Minor adjustments can significantly improve user experience and trust in government.