Success Metrics and Accountability Framework
Bold reforms require measurable outcomes. The following key performance indicators (KPIs) will track progress and hold the administration accountable to the American people.
Defining Success: Institutional Restoration and Legislative Achievement
The success of Project 2029 will be measured by institutional reforms and laws passed by Congress, not by the number of executive orders issued. Executive actions are temporary stabilization—true transformation requires legislation and institutional safeguards that constrain all future administrations.
Primary Success Metrics:
- Legislative Victories: Passage of the Nine Acts of Reconstruction within the first term
- Institutional Safeguards Established: Strengthening of checks and balances across all three branches
- Rule of Law Restored: Independent watchdogs protected, transparency requirements enforced, judicial independence preserved
- Bipartisan Constraint: Institutional reforms that bind ALL future presidents, regardless of party affiliation
Secondary Metrics: Economic, healthcare, democratic participation, and social outcomes (detailed below)
These institutional and legislative metrics take precedence because sustainable policy outcomes require permanent institutional change. Economic gains from executive actions alone can be reversed by the next administration; laws and institutional reforms create lasting protection for all Americans.
Institutional Restoration Metrics
Legislative Success: The Nine Acts
Baseline (2024):
- Congressional productivity at historic lows
- Reliance on executive orders and regulatory workarounds
- Major policy changes subject to reversal every 4-8 years
Targets:
- Year 2: Passage of at least 5 of the 9 Acts of Reconstruction
- Year 4: All 9 Acts passed and signed into law
- Ongoing: Laws withstand judicial review and remain in force across administrations
Measurement: Congressional Record; bill tracking; judicial review outcomes
Inspector General Independence
Baseline (2024):
- Multiple IGs fired or sidelined for political reasons
- IG reports suppressed or ignored
- Reduced whistleblower protections
Targets:
- Year 1: All vacant IG positions filled with qualified, independent appointees
- Year 2: Statutory protections preventing IG removal without cause
- Ongoing: 100% of IG reports published without political interference
- Ongoing: Zero politically motivated IG removals
Measurement: IG appointment records; report publication rates; whistleblower case outcomes
Judicial Independence Preserved
Baseline (2024):
- Threats to pack courts or ignore judicial rulings
- Erosion of respect for judicial independence
- Political attacks on judges
Targets:
- Year 1: 100% compliance with court orders and rulings
- Ongoing: No court-packing proposals or threats
- Ongoing: No political retaliation against judges for rulings
- Year 2: Statutory protections against judicial intimidation
Measurement: Court compliance record; judicial ethics complaints; public statements
Transparency and Accountability
Baseline (2024):
- FOIA backlog of 200,000+ requests
- Excessive classification of government documents
- Limited public access to government data
Targets:
- Year 2: FOIA backlog reduced by 75%
- Year 3: 90% of government data published in open formats
- Year 4: Presumption of declassification implemented
- Ongoing: Real-time publication of government spending, contracts, meeting minutes
Measurement: FOIA response times; open data metrics; classification rates
Congressional Oversight Restored
Baseline (2024):
- Frequent refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas
- Executive privilege broadly asserted to block oversight
- Reduced congressional investigative capacity
Targets:
- Year 1: 100% compliance with lawful congressional subpoenas
- Year 1: Narrow assertion of executive privilege (only for core presidential communications)
- Ongoing: Timely responses to congressional information requests
- Year 2: Statutory framework codifying oversight responsibilities
Measurement: Subpoena compliance rate; executive privilege assertions; congressional testimony records
Economic Justice Metrics
Income Inequality Reduction
Baseline (2024):
- Gini coefficient: 0.49 (among highest in developed world)
- Bottom 50% wealth share: 2% of total wealth
- Top 1% wealth share: 32% of total wealth
- Labor share of national income: 58% (vs. 65% in 1970s)
Targets:
- Year 5: Gini coefficient < 0.42 (comparable to UK, Canada)
- Year 10: Gini coefficient < 0.35 (comparable to France, Germany)
- Year 10: Bottom 50% wealth share > 5% (2.5x increase)
- Year 10: Top 1% wealth share < 25% (7 percentage point reduction)
- Year 5: Labor share of income > 62% (4 percentage point increase)
Measurement: Annual Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances; Bureau of Labor Statistics data
Median Wage Growth
Baseline (2024):
- Median household income: ~$75,000 (inflation-adjusted)
- Real wage growth (past decade): ~1% annually
Targets:
- Annual real wage growth > 3% (triple historical average)
- Year 5: Median household income > $87,000 (16% increase, inflation-adjusted)
- Year 10: Median household income > $100,000 (33% increase, inflation-adjusted)
Measurement: Census Bureau Current Population Survey; BLS wage data
Poverty Reduction
Baseline (2024):
- Official poverty rate: 11.5%
- Child poverty rate: 16.2%
- Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM): 12.4%
Targets:
- Year 5: Official poverty rate < 6% (cut in half)
- Year 5: Child poverty rate < 5% (cut by 70%)
- Year 10: Official poverty rate < 3% (comparable to Nordic countries)
Measurement: Census Bureau poverty statistics; SPM annual reports
Wealth Building for Working Families
New Metric:
- Median net worth of bottom 50%
- Baseline (2024): ~$15,000
- Year 5 Target: > $30,000 (double)
- Year 10 Target: > $50,000 (3.3x increase)
Drivers:
- Higher wages from $25 minimum, job guarantee
- Homeownership support (not detailed in current plan but implied by reduced housing cost burden)
- Reduced debt burden from universal healthcare, free public college (if added)
Measurement: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (triennial)
Healthcare Access and Affordability
Universal Coverage Achievement
Baseline (2024):
- Uninsured rate: 8.0% (~26 million people)
- Underinsured rate: ~23% (high out-of-pocket costs despite having insurance)
Targets:
- Year 3: Uninsured rate < 2% (after public option launch, ACA expansion)
- Year 5: Uninsured rate < 1% (effectively universal coverage)
- Year 5: Underinsured rate < 10% (public option + cost controls reduce out-of-pocket burden)
Measurement: CDC National Health Interview Survey; Commonwealth Fund surveys
Healthcare Cost Reduction
Baseline (2024):
- U.S. healthcare spending: 17% of GDP (~$4.5 trillion)
- Average family premium: $21,000/year (employer + employee)
- Median out-of-pocket spending: $1,200/year
- Medical debt: 1 in 10 Americans have medical debt in collections
Targets:
- Year 5: U.S. healthcare spending < 14% of GDP (save $900B annually)
- Year 10: U.S. healthcare spending < 12% of GDP (save $1.5T annually, comparable to Germany)
- Year 5: Average public option premium < $7,000/year (67% reduction vs. private)
- Year 5: Median out-of-pocket spending < $500/year (60% reduction)
- Year 3: Medical bankruptcy rate = 0 (eliminated via public option + cost-sharing limits)
Measurement: CMS National Health Expenditure Accounts; KFF premium surveys; Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data
Health Outcomes
Baseline (2024):
- U.S. life expectancy: 77.5 years (vs. OECD average 80.5 years)
- Infant mortality: 5.4 per 1,000 live births (vs. OECD average 4.0)
- Maternal mortality: 22 per 100,000 (worst among developed nations)
Targets:
- Year 10: Life expectancy > 80 years (close OECD gap)
- Year 10: Infant mortality < 4.0 per 1,000 (OECD average)
- Year 5: Maternal mortality < 10 per 100,000 (cut by more than half)
Measurement: CDC National Vital Statistics; WHO health data
Democratic Participation and Integrity
Voter Turnout
Baseline:
- Presidential election: ~66% (2020)
- Midterm election: ~47% (2022)
- Local election: ~20-30%
Targets:
- Presidential election turnout > 75% (comparable to Belgium, Sweden)
- Midterm election turnout > 60%
- Local election turnout > 50%
Drivers:
- Automatic voter registration
- Vote-by-mail expansion
- Election day holiday
- Ranked-choice voting (reduces spoiler effect, encourages participation)
Measurement: U.S. Elections Project turnout data
Campaign Finance Reform Impact
New Metrics:
- Small-donor share of campaign funding:
- Baseline (2024): ~22% of funds from donors giving <$200
- Year 2 Target: > 40% (after public financing implementation)
- Year 5 Target: > 60%
- Average time candidates spend fundraising:
- Baseline: ~30-50% of working hours (estimates)
- Year 2 Target: < 20% (public financing reduces need)
- Number of competitive House districts:
- Baseline: ~40-60 (out of 435)
- Year 4 Target: > 120 (after independent redistricting, ranked-choice voting)
Measurement: FEC filings; OpenSecrets analysis; Cook Political Report ratings
Multi-Party Viability
New Metric:
- Third-party/independent members of Congress:
- Baseline (2024): 0 (effectively)
- Year 4 Target: > 10 House members (after ranked-choice voting, public financing)
- Year 8 Target: > 30 House members, 3-5 Senators
Rationale: Ranked-choice voting eliminates spoiler effect; public financing reduces fundraising barrier for third parties
Measurement: Election results
Government Efficiency and Transparency
Digital Service Quality
Baseline (2024):
- Federal website average user satisfaction: ~65% (Foresee/ACSI scores)
- Number of federal websites: ~2,000+ (fragmented)
- Digital service availability: ~40% of services online
Targets:
- Year 3: “Digital Front Door” consolidates top 100 services into single portal
- Year 5: Average user satisfaction > 80% (comparable to private sector leaders)
- Year 5: > 80% of federal services available online
- Year 10: 99% of services online (Estonia-level digitization)
Measurement: ACSI E-Government Satisfaction Index; OMB performance data
FOIA Response Time
Baseline (2024):
- Median FOIA response time: ~100 days (varies widely by agency)
- FOIA backlog: ~200,000+ pending requests
Targets:
- Year 2: Median FOIA response < 30 days (after transparency initiative, staffing increase)
- Year 5: FOIA backlog < 50,000 requests (75% reduction)
- Year 5: 90% of simple requests resolved within 10 days
Measurement: Annual FOIA reports to DOJ
IRS Processing Time and Customer Service
Baseline (2024):
- Average tax return processing: 21 days (electronic), 6-8 weeks (paper)
- IRS customer service wait time: ~30 minutes average
- IRS phone level of service: ~15% (only 15% of calls answered)
Targets:
- Year 2: Electronic returns processed < 14 days
- Year 2: Customer service wait time < 5 minutes
- Year 2: Phone level of service > 80% (after IRA funding fully deployed)
Measurement: IRS annual reports to Congress; TIGTA audits
Government Spending Transparency
New Metrics:
- Publicly accessible spending data:
- Baseline: ~30% of federal spending tracked in usaspending.gov (limited detail, 90-day lag)
- Year 1 Target: 100% of spending published in real-time (within 24 hours)
- Year 2 Target: Contract-level detail for all federal procurement
- Citizen use of transparency data:
- Year 2 Target: 10+ million unique users/year of transparency portal
- Year 5 Target: 50+ million unique users/year
Measurement: OMB data; website analytics
Federal Job Guarantee Program Metrics
Participation and Outcomes
Targets:
- Year 1 (Pilot): 50,000-100,000 participants across 5-10 communities
- Year 3: 1-2 million participants nationally
- Year 5: 5 million participant capacity (steady-state)
- Placement rate: > 70% of participants in private sector jobs within 12 months
- Wage progression: > 80% of placed participants earning $25/hour+ in subsequent employment
- Community service delivery: 10 million+ hours of community services annually (Year 5)
Measurement: National Employment Service quarterly reports; participant surveys; community impact assessments
Anti-Trust and Competition Metrics
Market Concentration Reduction
Baseline:
- Number of industries with 4-firm concentration ratio > 50%: ~75% of industries
- Average markup (price over marginal cost): ~60% above 1980s levels
Targets:
- Year 5: 4-firm concentration ratio < 50% in at least 20 major industries (via breakups, merger blocks)
- Year 10: Average markup return to 1990s levels (25-30% reduction)
Measurement: Census Bureau economic concentration data; Economic Policy Institute analysis
Major Antitrust Cases
Quantitative Targets:
- Year 2: 20+ major antitrust investigations initiated (DOJ + FTC)
- Year 5: 10+ major enforcement actions (breakups, conduct remedies, merger blocks)
- Year 10: Measurable reduction in consumer prices in previously monopolized sectors (10%+ price reductions)
Measurement: DOJ/FTC annual reports; economic analysis of affected markets
Defense Spending Efficiency
Cost Reduction and Readiness
Targets:
- Year 1: 5% spending reduction ($45B) while maintaining readiness
- Year 3: 25% spending reduction ($225B annually)
- Contractor waste reduction: Identify and eliminate $50B+ in fraud, waste, abuse via audits
- Procurement efficiency: Reduce cost overruns on major programs from ~30% average to < 10%
- Readiness maintained: All military readiness metrics (personnel, equipment, training) at “ready” status (C-1/C-2 ratings)
Measurement: DoD budget reports; GAO audits; military readiness reports to Congress
Annual Reporting and Public Accountability
Transparency Commitment:
The administration will publish an annual “Project 2029 Progress Report” by March 1 of each year, covering:
- Scorecard: Traffic-light status (green/yellow/red) for each metric vs. target
- Detailed analysis: What’s working, what’s not, why
- Course corrections: Policy adjustments based on evidence
- Public input: Open comment period before finalizing annual report
Congressional Oversight:
- Quarterly testimony to relevant Congressional committees on progress
- Independent evaluation by Government Accountability Office (GAO) every 2 years
- CBO re-scoring of fiscal impact annually (update projections based on actual results)
Consequences for Failure:
- If metrics show policies not working, administration commits to:
- Acknowledge failures publicly
- Propose evidence-based modifications
- Consider abandoning unsuccessful approaches
- Example: If wealth tax generates < 50% of projected revenue due to avoidance, trigger review and potential shift to mark-to-market taxation alternative
Citizen Engagement:
- Public dashboard (www.project2029progress.gov or similar) with real-time data visualization
- Open data API for researchers, journalists, advocacy groups
- Annual town halls in all 50 states to discuss progress