What if the problem with government efficiency is that we're measuring the wrong thing? Civic tech experts Marina Nitze and David Eaves challenge the idea that doing more with less should be government's ultimate goal. From redesigning foster care bureaucracy to preparing public services for AI, they explore what it actually takes to make complex systems work better for the people who depend on them. Along the way, they unpack why crises can unlock transformational change, how governments can learn from one another, and why the future of government may depend less on efficiency—and more on effectiveness.

ABOUT THE GUESTS:

Marina Nitze is a partner at Layer Aleph, a crisis engineering firm, and co-author of Crisis Engineering and Hack Your Bureaucracy. A former Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and technology advisor in the Obama White House, she now works on complex-system transformation and improving America's child welfare system through New America's New Practice Lab.

David Eaves is Associate Professor of Digital Government and Co-Deputy Director of the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at University College London, where he studies digital public infrastructure, state capacity, and how governments build and buy technology. Previously a lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School and CEO of civic tech company ReCollect, he has advised governments around the world on delivering public services in the digital age.

ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT FIX:

The Government Fix is a podcast by Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit for over 15 years. Hosted by CEO Amanda Renteria, we explore what it looks like when government works well for everyone.

Explore all episodes and learn more: thegovernmentfix.org

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL65XgbSILalWGZmB8DliZnjqyxEpIgy0v&si=Ah_WzQ7INfnXqjVn

Transcript available here:

The Government Fix is a podcast from Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit. Learn more about our work at codeforamerica.org.

What if lowering your electric bill was as easy as plugging something into the wall? Utah State Rep. Ray Ward joins The Government Fix to explain the surprisingly simple idea behind plug-in solar: small solar panels that can power your home or apartment without contractors, permits, or major renovations—even without homeownership. Already popular across Europe, the technology is gaining momentum in the U.S. as lawmakers rethink outdated rules that stand between people and lower energy costs.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Rep. Ray Ward M.D., Ph.D., has served in the Utah House of Representatives since 2015. He serves as the House Chair of the Social Services Appropriations Committee. He focuses his legislative efforts on medical issues and how to lower the cost of housing. He is a family physician in private practice at Cope Family Medicine/Ogden Clinic. In the 2025 session, he sponsored and passed H.B. 340, which made a pathway for the adoption of plug-in solar panels, and within a year, that bill has triggered a great deal of interest in many other state legislatures around the nation.

LEARN MORE:

• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/30/balcony-solar-power-states-laws
• https://pluginsolarus.com/states

ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT FIX:

The Government Fix is a podcast by Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit for over 15 years. Hosted by CEO Amanda Renteria, we explore what it looks like when government works well for everyone.

Explore all episodes and learn more: thegovernmentfix.org

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL65XgbSILalWGZmB8DliZnjqyxEpIgy0v&si=Ah_WzQ7INfnXqjVn

Transcript available here: https://codeforamerica.org/podcast/the-plug-in-solar-movement-that-could-lower-your-energy-bills/

The Government Fix is a podcast from Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit. Learn more about our work at codeforamerica.org.

What happens when a mistake from years ago keeps standing between someone and a job, a home, or even volunteering at their child’s school? In this episode, The Government Fix talks with Dr. Sheena Meade, CEO of the Clean Slate Initiative, about the growing bipartisan movement to automatically seal eligible criminal records and remove barriers to opportunity. Together, they explore how technology and policy can create second chances at scale, why this work has united lawmakers across the political spectrum, and what it means to build a government that helps people move forward instead of holding them back.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Dr. Sheena Meade is the CEO of The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI), a national bipartisan organization working to automate the sealing of eligible arrest and conviction records across the U.S. Under her leadership, CSI has passed laws providing record sealing for more than 18 million people and secured a $75 million commitment from The Audacious Project to expand second chances nationwide. Before CSI, Sheena helped lead the successful campaign to pass Florida’s Amendment 4, restoring voting rights to 1.4 million people.

LEARN MORE:

• https://www.cleanslateinitiative.org/
• https://codeforamerica.org/programs/criminal-justice/

ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT FIX:

The Government Fix is a podcast by Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit for over 15 years. Hosted by CEO Amanda Renteria, we explore what it looks like when government works well for everyone.

Explore all episodes and learn more: thegovernmentfix.org

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL65XgbSILalWGZmB8DliZnjqyxEpIgy0v

Transcript available here: https://codeforamerica.org/podcast/how-criminal-records-hold-millions-and-the-economy-back/

The Government Fix is a podcast from Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit. Learn more about our work at codeforamerica.org.