Welcome to My Website!
Hi. I'm Jim Hartung.
Hyper-partisan politics is dividing America. Lawmakers and policymakers need a process to overcome partisan politics and address our most serious problems. This is a daunting task, since so many forces are pulling us apart. We need better processes to bring us together!
I have developed a new approach to address this age-old problem, using systems engineering (SE), the process engineers use to develop complex products such as aircraft and spacecraft. SE has been used successfully in science, technology, industry, and business for over 80 years. It is a core process for engineering, just as the scientific method is a core process for science.
SE is an inherently nonpartisan process because it (1) considers the needs of all stakeholders and uses facts and data to optimize a product or system and (2) balances opposing interests, conflicting objectives, and many constraints.
I have used systems engineering (SE) for nearly 40 years while working in the aerospace and energy industries. Some people believe that SE works best on technical programs with little political pressure. However, my experience suggests that SE is even more important in highly political programs like the International Space Station because it uses facts and data to decrease the role of (sometimes irrational) politics in decision-making.
Methodology
Until now, SE has been used primarily to develop physical products and systems. However, I have developed three methodologies for using SE to create practical, nonpartisan solutions for complex social, economic, environmental, and political problems. These methodologies, which are described under the tab "Methodology," are as follows:
1. Six-step process. This is the basic SE process, which starts with reguirements definition and ends with completion of a public policy to achieve the desired objectives.
2. Optimization strategies. This is a list of 10 engineering principles that systems engineers use to develop and optimize designs, which are equally useful in developing and optimizing public policies.
3. System of system matrix. This is a matrix that enables policymakers to develop multiple public policies to address a complex set of interrelated issues.
Results
I have used the three processes described in the tab "Methodology" to address several complex and interrelated societal problems. Two example public policy proposals are as follows:
1. Tax Reform. This tab summarizes a comprehensive, nonparisan proposal to fundamentally reform the United States' federal tax system. This tax reform and the process used to develop it are described in "Rational Tax Reform: Using the Systems Engineering Process to Fix America's Broken Tax System."
2. Top Ten Policies. This tab summarizes ten top-level pulblic policies designed to address America's mosst urgent problems. These top ten policies and the process used to develop them are described in "Ten Moonshots to Revitalize America."
I have also used systems engineering to develop potential solutions for ten of America's most urgent problems. My proposed reforms are described in "Ten Moonshots to Revitalize America." These ten actions, summarized in the figure on the right, are practical, nonpartisan solutions that can be implemented today and largely completed in ten years, just like the Apollo program in the 1960s. Please contact me if you want a complimentary copy of this report or to discuss my proposed solutions.
The Path Forward
Systems engineering could become the "go-to" process for lawmakers and policymakers addressing social, economic, environmental, and political problems, just as it is now the "go-to" process for engineers developing complex products and systems.
This may seem like an impossible dream. However, during my career, I have seen how SE has transformed large, complex, highly political programs such as the International Space Station from near-failure to success in just one to two years. So now, I am convinced that Congress and the president can incorporate SE into the lawmaking process and become much more effective in just one or two years. If Congress and the president lead in using the SE process, state and local governments, public policy organizations, policymakers, and international organizations can follow their example. This will help bridge the partisan divide and improve the political process at all levels of government.
Please contact me if you have questions, comments, or suggestions. I am especially interested in helping you or your group if you would like to:
1) use the SE process to address a complex social, economic, environmental, or political problem or
2) discuss how SE can be incorporated into lawmaking or policy-making processes.
