Episode 896: Philip K. Howard on “Saving Can-Do”

Newt's World

Gingrich 360

News, Politics

4.7 • 6.3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 October 2025

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Newt talks with Philip K. Howard about his new book, “Saving Can-Do: How to Revive the Spirit of America.” Howard discusses the pervasive issue of bureaucratic red tape that has stifled common sense and effective governance since the 1960s. He argues that the legal system has become overly complex, with 150 million words in federal law and regulation, compared to the 7,500 words of the U.S. Constitution. Howard advocates for a multi-year effort to replace these cumbersome bureaucracies with simpler codes that empower individuals to use their judgment. He highlights the inefficiencies in current systems, such as the lengthy and costly processes for infrastructure projects and healthcare administration and calls for a movement led by American citizens to push for practical regulatory reform.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This is an I-Heart podcast.
0:04.0	What I told people, I was making a podcast about Benghazi.
0:08.5	Nine times out of ten, they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or just asked, why?
0:15.1	Benghazi, the truth became a web of lies.
0:18.5	From prologue projects and Pushkin Industries, this is Fiasco, Benghazi.
0:23.9	What difference at this point does it make?
0:27.4	Listen to Fiasco, Benghazi, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:46.0	On this episode of Nuts, in his new book, Saving Can Do, best-selling author Philip K. Howard unlocks the quandary of populist resentment and broken government.
0:51.9	Nothing works as it should because red tape has strangled common sense.
0:56.8	What's required is a multi-year effort to replace these massive, failed bureaucracies
1:02.7	with simpler codes that are activated by people using their judgment. Here to discuss his
1:09.1	new book, I'm really pleased to welcome the guest.
1:12.5	Philip K. Howard. He is a leader of government and legal reform in America. He is chair of
1:17.4	common good and a best-selling author. He's advised both parties on needing reforms. And I must say,
1:24.2	every time I've talked with him, I've come off deeply impressed with his wisdom and his common sense.
1:42.5	Welcome and thank you for joining me in Neutral.
1:46.6	It's an honor to be with you again.
1:48.8	Let me start with your book, because you really go to the heart of what I think is one of the biggest challenges that we face.
1:55.3	And you talk about the red tape problem really beginning in the 1960s.
2:00.6	Why did that happen?
2:02.4	We woke up to all these problems that needed fixing, racism and pollution and unsafe cars and such.
2:09.7	And the legal geniuses at the time not only thought we should change our values, which we did with civil rights laws, for example. But they thought
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Gingrich 360, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Gingrich 360 and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.