When Americans talk about fixing government, the conversation usually stops at Congress. But on a recent episode of The Good Government Show, host David Martin revealed a far less known—and far more consequential—player in American democracy: the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). Created by Congress in 1967 and operating outside partisan politics, NAPA quietly deploys more than 1,000 of the nation’s top public‑service experts to help government work better at every level.
David Martin sat down with James‑Christian Blockwood, NAPA’s President and CEO, to unpack how the Academy functions as a kind of “National Academy of Sciences for government.” From federal agencies to state and local governments, NAPA’s fellows—former cabinet officials, city managers, inspectors general, academics, and nonprofit leaders—tackle the hardest problems in public administration. Their mandate is simple but ambitious: help leaders make government more effective, efficient, transparent, and accountable—for everyone.
One of the episode’s standout moments focused on NAPA’s Extreme Weather Resilience Hub, a national effort bringing together federal officials, state and local governments, first responders, insurers, and private industry to prepare communities for floods, fires, heat waves, and other climate‑driven crises. As Blockwood explained, these challenges don’t belong to one agency or one level of government—they demand a whole‑of‑government and whole‑of‑society response. It’s the kind of behind‑the‑scenes coordination most Americans never see—but rely on every day.
Blockwood also addressed a question many Americans are wrestling with: what does it really mean to be nonpartisan in a polarized moment? “Nonpartisan doesn’t mean without values,” he said. “It doesn’t mean staying neutral or paralyzed. It means engaging constructively—using evidence, research, and experience—to help government serve the public better.” That philosophy runs through NAPA’s work, from advising agencies like FEMA and the Office of Personnel Management to honoring extraordinary civil servants through the prestigious Arthur S. Fleming Awards.
The episode ultimately landed on a powerful reminder: government is far more than Washington headlines. With more than 90,000 units of government operating across the country, most public service happens close to home—and is carried out by people who rarely seek recognition. As The Good Government Show continues to spotlight those stories, this conversation made one thing clear: if Americans understood how much good government work already exists, trust might not be as hard to rebuild.