Improving operating efficiency
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Improving operating efficiency.
With nearly one government civilian worker (federal, state and local) for every six households,
efficiency gains seem possible. A 20-year trend line of declining federal civilian headcount was
reversed in the late 1990s.
Resuming that trend would imply a 15% potential headcount reduction over five years and save
nearly $300 billion over the next ten years. USA Inc. could also focus intensively on local private
company outsourcing, where state and local governments are finding real productivity gains.
Improving long-term GDP growth — productivity and employment.
Fundamentally, federal revenues depend on GDP growth and related tax levies on consumers
and businesses. Higher GDP growth won't be easy to achieve as households rebuild savings in
the aftermath of a recession. To break even without changing expense levels or tax policies,
USA Inc. would need real GDP growth of 6-7% in F2012-14 and 4-5% in F2015-20, according to
our estimates based on CBO data — highly unlikely, given 40-year average GDP growth of 3%.
While USA Inc. could temporarily increase government spending and investment to make up for
lower private demand in the near term, the country needs policies that foster productivity and
employment gains for sustainable long-term economic growth.
How Much Would Real GDP Need to Grow to Drive USA Inc. to Break-Even
Without Policy Changes? 6-7% in F2012E-F2014E & 4-5% in F2015-
F2020E...Well Above 40-Year Average of 3%
CBO’s Baseline Real GDP Growth vs. Required Real GDP
Growth for a Balanced Budget Between F2011E and F2020E
A%
Real GDP Y/Y Growth (%)
N
sz
200: 2011E 2013E 2015E 2017E 2019E
Real GDP Annual Growth (CBO Baseline Forecast) =
Real GDP Annual Growth Needed to Eliminate Fiscal Deficit
— -1970-2009 Average Real GDP Growth
KP Source: CBO, “The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2010 to 2020,” 8/10.
§@S) www kpcb.com USA Inc. | Summary
Productivity gains and increased employment each contributed roughly half of the long-term
GDP growth between 1970 and 2009, per the National Bureau of Economic Research. Since the
1960s, as more resources have gone to entitlements and interest payments, USA Inc. has
scaled back its investment in technology R&D and infrastructure as percentages of GDP.
Competitors are making these investments. India plans to double infrastructure spending as a
percent of GDP by 2013, and its tertiary (college) educated population will double over the next
ten years, according to Morgan Stanley analysts, enabling its GDP growth to accelerate to 9-
10% annually by 2015 (China’s annual GDP growth is forecast to remain near 8% by 2015).
USA Inc. can’t match India’s demographic advantage, but technology can help.
KP
CB www.kpcb.com USA Inc. xvi
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020839
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