Policy and Practice | June 2021

PRESIDENT’S MEMO continued from page 3

local governments are actively and intentionally working to dismantle structural and systemic racism. Each level of government has a role to play. The federal government, for example, can model intergovern- mental delivery systems that leverage population-based data to inform investment decisions. And, by simulta- neously investing in states to build this capacity at local levels, the federal gov- ernment can also further our ability to collect longevity data across multiple systems to better understand the true impact of direct interventions and pre- ventive service arrays over time. States and localities, in turn, can work in coordination to understand their com- munities more fully, relentlessly focus on centering the people most affected by adversity in the redesign of our human-serving systems and informing decision-making in the context of family strengths, community assets, and practical solutions. A striking example of such an effort is happening in Washington State through its bold 10-year plan to dismantle poverty. 2 It is incumbent upon public-sector leaders at all levels of government to meet this moment, working together to secure a foundation made for a just, resilient, and equitable society. It has never been more important that we show, through an inclusive intergovernmental collaboration, the possibilities of a multilevel democracy of, by, and for the people. Brown, and Indigenous People of Color have worse outcomes across health, education, employment, and other social outcome measures regardless of their social-economic status. https:// aphsa.org/About/call_to_action. aspx#alookatthedata Future, https://dismantlepovertyinwa. com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ Final10yearPlan.pdf 2. Blueprint for a Just & Equitable Reference Notes 1. Numerous studies show that Black,

infrastructure charged with regu- lating states’ use of federal resources and monitoring their compliance to rules. From the New Deal came the concept of fiscal federalism, whereby the federal government delegates day- to-day administration of programs that provide for the general welfare of people by passing dollars to the states to deliver services on the ground. Many federal–state collaborations that support basic health and well-being today were seeded in this era. Over time, states sought to counter- balance the increasing federal role by seeking to keep decisions about how best to make use of resources intended for the general welfare within their purview. In a 1932 dissent, Supreme Court Justice Brandeis made famous the notion of states as the laboratories of democracy, where new innovations should be encouraged and tested at the “local” government level. Over time, states and the localities within them exercised this muscle, and as a result, today’s public service delivery system in the United States is not the same from one place to another. While there are similarities in design across states, it is also true that no one state looks the same, nor does one county, city, or town. This variation must be fully in our line of sight as we make critical investment decisions. Where Are We Headed? Like the New Deal did in response to the Great Depression, the ARPA aims to both prevent further harm to people impacted by COVID-19 and lay tracks for an economic recovery. What is different today is that we know much more about what kind of tracks we need to lay to tackle society’s toughest challenges, and not through a single program or service, but in the context of the many building blocks we all need to live healthy and well, and with clear evidence of how our people-serving systems have continuously denied Black, Brown, and Indigenous People of Color from these foundational building blocks of well-being. 1

If the pandemic has taught us anything, we know that intergovern- mental systems must be redesigned in innovative ways to tackle these ineq- uities and work toward repair at the base. For all of the ways in which our systems must change, we also know that systems can be a force of good. Working in partnership across the federal, state, and local landscape, we can strengthen our common purpose to prevent adversity for students, parents, essential workers, caregivers, seniors, and more, and ultimately build resil- ient communities across the nation. How Do We GetThere? We need intergovernmental forums that can cut through the political noise and help reimagine, in real time, a federalism system that is truly by the people and for the people. Congressionally charted organizations like the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and bipartisan, national associations like the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) provide a professional forum where government leaders, practi- tioners, policymakers, community advocates, academics, and private industry can convene to discuss and then act on what we need to become a more perfect union—fostering con- nections at all levels of government alongside the American people. We need to consider: How do we keep a relentless focus on repairing our systems to be fair and equitable, will- ingly dismantling our structures, and rebuilding where we need to do so? How can we enhance accountability without detracting from the desired focus on people? How do we authenti- cally honor community voice while carrying out our responsibilities as institutions? How do we create shared urgency across all levels of govern- ment? As we tackle these questions, we need the ability to “zoom in”—focusing on how we can achieve equitable outcomes at the individual, familial, and neighborhood levels—and the ability to “zoom out”—critically examining how federal, state, and

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