Issue Briefs
Use Small Ball to Help End Washington’s Gridlock
August 15, 2019
By Paul Steidler
Small ball is when a baseball team employs a strategy to grind out a run or two, through sacrifice bunts and other measures. It typically means low-scoring games as teams give up outs for a higher chance of getting a run or two.
But low-scoring innings can win games and break teams out of slumps. The 2015 Kansas City Royals won the World Series because they mastered small ball.
Exhibit A for a public policy slump in Washington is the current gridlock surrounding the U.S. Postal Service. Since 2009 the Postal Service has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High Risk List of organizations needing major reform. Despite this, a December 4, 2018, Presidential Task Force report, and strong concerns from elected officials on both sides of the aisle, reform measures have been dead in the water, including the defeat of nine reform bills since 2011.
The views and opinions expressed in this issue brief are those of the author.
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Paul Steidler is a Senior Fellow of the Lexington Institute, who researches, studies, and discusses energy and logistics issues. Steidler has 15 years’ experience in the research, analysis, and public commentary on energy generation and transmission issues. His work and views have appeared in such outlets as The New York Times, Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg, Investor’s Business Daily and numerous other news outlets. Mr. Steidler is a magna cum laude graduate from Villanova University with a B.A. in Political Science and Honors. He resides in Reston, Virginia. |