The Government Fix

Government is all around us. It’s in your morning routine, your commute, even your grocery run. We need it. And it can be better. The Government Fix is a podcast about bridging the gap between the government we have and the one we need. In each episode, Code for America CEO Amanda Renteria sits down with innovators, doers, and leaders—from inside and outside government—to hear how they tackle big challenges, upend the status quo, and deliver results. This isn’t about tearing down bureaucracy—it’s about building up what works. Smarter systems. Better tools. Less stress. Because when government works well, it works for everyone.The Government Fix is a podcast from Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit. Learn more about our work at codeforamerica.org.

The Government Fix is a government podcast hosted by Code for America, with 10 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Code for America hosts The Government Fix, a government show with 10 episodes published.

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  Episode #8

  How Criminal Records Hold Millions—and the Economy—Back

  Sep 22, 202630 min

  What happens when a mistake from years ago keeps standing between someone and a job, a home, or even volunteering at their child’s school? In this episode, The Government Fix talks with Dr. Sheena Meade, CEO of the Clean Slate Initiative, about the growing bipartisan movement to automatically seal eligible criminal records and remove barriers to opportunity. Together, they explore how technology and policy can create second chances at scale, why this work has united lawmakers across the political spectrum, and what it means to build a government that helps people move forward instead of holding them back. ABOUT THE GUEST: Dr. Sheena Meade is the CEO of The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI), a national bipartisan organization working to automate the sealing of eligible arrest and conviction records across the U.S. Under her leadership, CSI has passed laws providing record sealing for more than 18 million people and secured a $75 million commitment from The Audacious Project to expand second chances nationwide. Before CSI, Sheena helped lead the successful campaign to pass Florida’s Amendment 4, restoring voting rights to 1.4 million people. LEARN MORE:  https://www.cleanslateinitiative.org/ https://codeforamerica.org/programs/criminal-justice/     ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT FIX: The Government Fix is a podcast by Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit for over 15 years. Hosted by CEO Amanda Renteria, we explore what it looks like when government works well for everyone.  Explore all episodes and learn more: thegovernmentfix.org Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL65XgbSILalWGZmB8DliZnjqyxEpIgy0v   Transcript available here:    The Government Fix is a podcast from Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit. Learn more about our work at codeforamerica.org .

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  Episode #7

  The Wealth Gap Starts at Birth. Here's One Fix.

  Sep 8, 202639 min

  What if we started investing in people before they ever had the chance to fall behind? In this episode, The Government Fix sits down with David Radcliffe to explore baby bonds—a policy designed to help children born into low-income families build wealth from birth. He discusses why wealth matters as much as income, how Connecticut became the first state to launch a baby bonds program, and what it will take to give more Americans a stronger financial foundation for adulthood. ABOUT THE GUEST: David Radcliffe is the State and Local Policy Director at The New School’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy. He previously worked as policy director for the Office of Connecticut State Treasurer, where he championed implementation of the first-in-the-country “baby bonds” wealth building initiative; as policy analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston; and as a grassroots community organizer. He has a strong passion for working with people to build places and economies where everyone can live happy, fulfilling, prosperous, and productive lives. LEARN MORE:  https://racepowerpolicy.org/baby-bonds/ https://portal.ct.gov/ott/ct-baby-bonds/overview ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT FIX: The Government Fix is a podcast by Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit for over 15 years. Hosted by CEO Amanda Renteria, we explore what it looks like when government works well for everyone.  Explore all episodes and learn more: https://thegovernmentfix.org Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@codeforamerica/podcasts  Transcript available here: https://codeforamerica.org/podcast/the-wealth-gap-starts-at-birth-heres-one-fix/ The Government Fix is a podcast from Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit. Learn more about our work at codeforamerica.org .

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  The Government Fix

  Can These Ideas Actually Fix Government? Meet the Big Ideas in Season 2

  Sep 1, 20262 min

  What does it look like when bold ideas become reality? Season 2 of The Government Fix goes inside solutions already changing lives—from sealing criminal records and building wealth from birth to reducing energy bills and rethinking how democracy works. Host Amanda Renteria speaks with experts and experienced leaders about how change happens, what it takes to build support across political divides, and how promising policies move from theory to implementation. New episodes arrive every other week beginning September 8. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or visit thegovernmentfix.org. ABOUT THE HOST: Amanda Renteria leads Code for America as CEO, steering a transformative organization that sits at the forefront of civic technology and digital government innovation. Under her leadership, Code for America has emerged as a crucial partner to governments and community organizations nationwide, working to realize the vision of “a government by the people, for the people in the digital age.” Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts, and watch full episodes on YouTube. The Government Fix is a podcast from Code for America, the country’s leading civic tech nonprofit. Learn more about our work at codeforamerica.org .

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  Episode #6

  The Government Fix for Education

  May 5, 202626 minS0

  <p>Education policy works best when the people most affected by it are a voice at the table. In this episode of The Government Fix, Code for America CEO Amanda Renteria sits down with Dr. David Johns to explore what it really takes to build an education system that serves all children.</p> <p>Drawing on his experience as a former classroom teacher, congressional staffer, and leader of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, Dr. Johns explains why proximity matters in policymaking—and how decisions made far from students’ lived realities often fail them. </p> <p>Now E...

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  Episode #5

  The Government Fix for Transportation

  Apr 21, 202636 minS0

  <p>Transportation isn’t just about roads or traffic—it’s about access to jobs, housing, and opportunity. In this episode of The Government Fix, Code for America CEO Amanda Renteria sits down with former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to explore how transportation systems shape daily life—and why fixing them requires long-term thinking and bipartisan leadership.</p> <p>Drawing on his experience as the US Transportation Secretary under President Obama and as the former mayor of Charlotte, Foxx explains how aging infrastructure, uneven funding, and political gridlock have left many communities behind. He breaks down why transit...

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