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Governments should require full and timely disclosures of lobbying activities and expenditures. Restrictions should include provisions such as limits on gifts.
The following principles guide AARP’s efforts to increase the accountability of government officials, promote access, and encourage civic engagement.
Civic engagement can take many forms: individual volunteerism, organizational development and leadership, public service, and electoral participation.
Maintaining trust and confidence in the government requires strong democratic processes and government institutions.
Government budgets reflect the priorities of policymakers. They specify what programs and activities the government will support and how to raise the money needed to fund them.
Efforts to reform entitlement spending should recognize the following factors:
Block grants and unfunded mandates are two government budgetary practices that can have significant implications for lower levels of government.
Higher levels of government should provide adequate resources when mandating functions to lower levels of government.
Services should be implemented and operated by the level of government that can most appropriately and efficiently deliver them.
Federal and state governments have tried to change budget rules to control government spending. Budget rules have also been used to impose fiscal discipline.