McGinnis concedes that, "A cause for this is most probably the lack of inspirational leadership," she also points out that, "We need either our president or someone to instill hope in the American public."
The mission of Council for Excellence in Government is to try and help guide and provide standards for the processes that create perceptions of government. They have addressed their mission on several fronts. They have formed a Youth Conference which will meet bi-annually in Washington D.C. Carefully selected teens who have an interest in government, and who represent different areas around the country, will work with the council to create a platform for them to advocate methods of governmental modification. Additionally, the Council for Excellence in Government hopes that the positive impact of this youth summit will help to instill trust in government amongst young people.
Journalists are another target of the council. Negative news swamps the papers and the TV. To solve this problem, the council has implemented a variety of workshops for journalists that are intended to give them a greater context for reporting on government and assessing its performance so it can be better presented to the public.
It is the hope of The Council for Excellence in Government that "inspirational leadership" can once again take a foothold in the United States and help promote a new trust and integrity within our country’s public offices. Established in 1983, the Council for Excellence in Government has a long list of influential participants who are working together to bring about positive changes in this regard. Such members include David Broder, The Washington Post, Martin Fitzwater, former Reagan/Bush Press Secretary, Judy Woodroff, CNN, and Marvin Kalb, former newsman and now with Harvard University.
