Partnership for Public Service

Join the Partnership's AI Center for Government® on Thursday, June 18, for a conversation on how public sector leaders can use artificial intelligence to strengthen digital security while addressing concerns around data and privacy.

Sign up today to learn how public sector leaders are strengthening and modernizing digital security.

AI Use Case Showcase: Navigating Privacy and Information Security The Partnership for Public Service is hosting a panel discussion focused on AI use cases related to privacy and information security.

The U.S. government has never been fixed or static. As the needs of our country change, our government changes with it.

When we worried that natural resources were being exploited, the National Park Service was created.

When we were preparing for World War II and increasing public health threats, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was founded.

As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, the federal government must continue to adapt to the needs of the public to better prepare for future challenges. Read our latest blog post for more examples of how the government has evolved to better serve us:

The history of these federal agencies shows our government's ability to move with the times These federal agencies illustrate a few of the many times the federal government has evolved to better serve the public.

Behind every crisis averted, every disaster managed and every threat stopped, there is a federal civil servant working hard to keep the nation safe. At home and abroad, they are protecting us and the people we care about most.

As we mark our 25th anniversary, the Partnership’s mission remains focused on building a better government and a stronger democracy. Honoring extraordinary civil servants is central to that work.

Read our blog post to learn about 5️⃣ public servants who have made America safer: https://ourpublicservice.org/know-the-facts/blog/service-to-america-medals-honorees-who-have-made-our-country-safer

A new nationally representative survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service finds that a majority of the public oppose the Trump administration's changes to the federal government and believe such cuts have made their lives and communities worse.

Our latest report, The Steady Opposition, shares the survey results, finding that 52% of the public oppose the administration’s changes to the federal government compared with only 39% who are in support. Far more people say the changes have made their lives or communities worse (51%) than say they have made things better (28%).

Other key findings include:

• 52% of Americans say the administration has not been effective in making the government more efficient, compared with 42% who say they have been effective.

• 75% of Americans say the federal government is wasteful, up from 61% a year ago—suggesting the Trump administration has not swayed the public in thinking their changes have made the government more efficient.

• One-in-three Americans say they—or someone they know—has personally been impacted by the administration’s cuts.

While the White House may claim to have a mandate to make dramatic cuts to the federal workforce and programs, the administration has not succeeded in convincing the public that such changes will have a positive effect on the country. These findings reinforce a decades-long pattern of distrust in government, general dissatisfaction with government and a need for comprehensive reform.

This report is part of our ongoing work measuring public opinion and the federal government. Explore the survey findings in The Steady Opposition here: https://bit.ly/SteadyOpposition

Missed the 25th anniversary of the Service to America Medals®? You can watch the program at home on WETA Metro and WETA PBS! https://weta.org/watch/shows/samuel-j-heyman-service-america-awards

Hosted by award-winning journalist Ari Shapiro at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., the ceremony honored extraordinary career federal employees whose work makes our nation safer, stronger, healthier and more prosperous. https://servicetoamericamedals.org/honorees/

Take a look back at 25 years of the Partnership for Public Service, learn about the civil servants we honored this year and hear from our special guests of the night.

The program will air on the following dates:

• Friday, June 5, at 9 p.m. EDT
• Saturday, June 6, at 3 a.m. EDT
• Sunday, June 7, at 1 p.m. EDT
• Monday, June 8, at 4:30 a.m. EDT
• Monday, June 8, at 2 p.m. EDT

You can find the schedule here: https://weta.org/watch/shows/samuel-j-heyman-service-america-awards

Are you a recently departed or soon-to-depart federal employee? Former federal employees who left federal service on or after Nov. 5, 2024, (even those who have since rejoined), as well as those actively planning their departures, are invited to participate in the Federal Employee Exit Survey, conducted by the Accountability and Reform Research Consortium academic team led by Gary E. Hollibaugh, Jr., Ph.D.

• Share your experiences and the factors that contributed to your departure from federal service
• Offer perspectives on the potential effects of recent departures on federal capacity
• Build a clearer picture of what these departures mean for federal capacity and for departing employees personally

The results from the survey will be reported publicly in aggregate form—no individual responses will be identifiable—and will be used in academic research products and policy discussions aimed at strengthening government service.

Participation is voluntary and responses are confidential. If you decide to participate, please take the survey by Sunday, June 7, here.

Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.

Federal performance management processes are notoriously complex, confusing and frustrating for all involved.

While many ideas focus on ratings, rewards and removing poor performers, our journey maps suggest deeper challenges may lie elsewhere.

By mapping the experiences of supervisors, employees and human resources staff throughout the performance management cycle, we identified common pain points, competing priorities and structural barriers that shape how the system functions in practice.

Supervisors often lack the time and support to manage employees effectively. HR staff are expected to solve problems without visibility into day-to-day issues. Employees struggle to understand how their work connects to larger goals.

These findings point to a simple conclusion: Meaningful reform requires more than tweaks; it requires addressing the structural challenges built into the system itself.

See what our three journey maps reveal. ➡️

Illustrating the Federal Employee Performance Management Journey With hundreds of agencies and millions of employees operating daily around the world, the federal government faces a monumental challenge to manage employee performance. Federal performance management processes are notoriously complex, confusing and frustrating for all involved. The Office of Person...

Registration for the Conference is now open! https://events.ourpublicservice.org/2026-govhr

We welcome you to join the Partnership for Public Service for its third annual GovHR Conference, a three-day conference specially curated for the government human resources community at the federal, state and local levels.

You won’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity to engage with luminary speakers, network with colleagues across federal, state and local government agencies and enhance your technical expertise in the human resources field.

Dates: September 15-17, 2026
Location: Virtual or in-person in Washington, D.C.

✅ Preview the newly released agenda here: https://events.ourpublicservice.org/2026-govhr-agenda
✅ Spread the word using our social media toolkit: https://events.ourpublicservice.org/2026-govhr-digital-toolkit
✅ Register now to be the first to receive event updates: https://www.tfaforms.com/5220968

Have questions about the conference? Contact our team at [email protected].

For generations, federal investment in scientific research has saved countless lives and created industries, jobs and technologies that drive American prosperity. The returns have been extraordinary. From eradicating deadly diseases and protecting our public lands to developing the internet and putting humans in space, that’s your government working for you.

Our newest Federal Harms Tracker product, The Cost of Cutting American Science, lets you explore how federally funded research has fueled American science, medicine and technology, how that progress is being threatened and why it is worth preserving today.

Federal science drives innovation, protects Americans and keeps the U.S. ahead of global competitors, delivering proven returns for taxpayers and laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs. Yet, decades of scientific progress are now being unraveled by indiscriminate cuts to science funding, personnel and programs, putting our health and well-being at risk.

Visit The Cost of Cutting American Science to discover how investment in science has benefited you, where recent cuts are hitting communities the hardest and how you can take action to stand up for public servants working on science: science.federalharmstracker.org