A message from the Alabama Policy Institute
By Stephanie Smith, Alabama Policy Institute President & CEO
For 35 years, the Alabama Policy Institute (API) has served as Alabama’s unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), advocating for limited government, free markets, and greater accountability from state leadership. Today, API is proud to announce the launch of the Alabama Department of Government Efficiency, or ALDOGE, an initiative inspired by the principles of the national DOGE program led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
ALDOGE is designed to address long-standing issues within Alabama state government, including regulatory overreach, lack of transparency, and inefficiency in government expenditures. The need for such an initiative is evident when we consider the numbers. Combined ETF/GF spending has grown by 52.3% over the last decade and by 26.5% in just the past five years.
Since 2016, Alabama has collected and spent more taxpayer dollars than ever every year. In total, combined revenues have grown by over $6.3 billion in the past decade. With these surging revenues, inefficiencies persist. The combined budgets have run surpluses every year since 2016, peaking at $2.84 billion in 2022 and reaching nearly $2.4 billion in 2024. Yet, taxpayers often see little improvement in the efficiency or responsiveness of government services.
At a recent meeting with members of Congress in Washington, DC, Elon Musk emphasized the importance of government efficiency, stating, “We need to make sure we’re spending public money well.” U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed Musk’s sentiments, saying, “The taxpayers deserve better. They deserve a more responsive government, a more efficient government.”
Like DOGE, ALDOGE will focus on more than just cost savings. It will tackle issues like regulatory overreach and misuse of taxpayer funds. For example, over the last decade with stagnant growth, public school support staff positions have increased by 3,332 and state government vehicle registrations grew by 801 from 2014 to 2023. Such trends highlight the need for more accountability in how taxpayer dollars are allocated.
ALDOGE’s goal is to streamline bureaucracy, cut red tape, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure Alabama taxpayers receive the best return on their dollar. ALDOGE also seeks to restore self-governance, a sentiment shared by Vivek Ramaswamy, who stated, “DOGE’s full success will be measured not just in cost savings, but in restoring self-governance in America.”
The project will be driven by API’s policy experts and the citizens of Alabama. Public input will be received on API’s website and will play a critical role in identifying waste, fraud, and abuse in state government spending. ALDOGE hopes to create practical solutions that deliver real results.
“Regulatory overreach and lack of accountability aren’t just federal problems,” API President/CEO, Stephanie Smith stated. “There are significant challenges at the state level too. ALDOGE will address these issues head-on, ensuring that Alabama taxpayers have a government that is efficient, transparent, and accountable.”
API is inviting state employees, lawmakers, and Alabamians from all walks of life to participate in the ALDOGE efforts. Together, this initiative aims to create a more effective state government and reinforce the principles of self-governance.
About the Alabama Policy Institute
Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, the Alabama Policy Institute (API) is a nonpartisan research and education organization dedicated to ensuring limited government, free markets, and strong families. For 35 years, API has been at the forefront of advocating for a government accountable to its people.