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Former US Rep. Jane Harman.
Former Congresswoman Jane Harman on combating distrust in governance
With the WEF focused on Rebuilding Trust this year, GZERO wanted to talk with someone who knows a thing or two about restoring faith in institutions. So before she set off for the Swiss Alps, we sat down with nine-term former Congresswoman and President of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Jane Harman to get her take on the challenges facing delegates at Davos.
Riley Callanan: What forces are eroding trust in international institutions?
Jane Harman: It's a great theme for this conference because Davos is often viewed as too Eurocentric. The theme is an invitation to the whole world to come together because trust is eroding worldwide.
As for what factors are eroding trust, I think there are a few that are really important.
One major problem is aging international institutions failing to solve current problems. A prime example is the UN Security Council, which was formed a lifetime ago in 1945 right after World War II. Today, the Security Council gives Russia the power to veto resolutions condemning it for its unlawful invasion of Ukraine. That, obviously, is a major roadblock to making progress on the Russia-Ukraine war.
The other major problem is grievance politics, or blaming the government for all of our problems. While he wasn’t the first to use this tactic, former President [Trump] showed that this is, sadly, a very effective attack. And when public trust in institutions is diminished, the efficacy of those institutions is as well.
Callanan: To delve into a major security issue, the situation in the Middle East is acutely dangerous because of the number of players that could misstep, leading to an escalation of the conflict. Is there a path to reestablishing trust and de-escalating the security crisis?
Harman: October 7th was an inflection point in Israel's faith in deterrence.
Ever since Hamas took over Gaza [in 2007], Israel thought it was doing the right things to deter any kind of serious attack from the West. But Israel's faith was misplaced, and it has been replaced with the belief Hamas and groups dedicated to destroying Israel cannot be deterred and have to be defeated.
I support Israel’s goal to destroy the Hamas leadership so that it can't be attacked again. But that doesn't mean that the dream of two states living side by side should be destroyed. The Palestinian Authority, which is not Hamas, recognizes the existence of Israel. I was in Ramallah with President Clinton and Hillary Clinton in the late 90s when their charter was amended to recognize Israel. The hard part is finding the pathway to two states when leadership on both sides isn't eager for it.
The Biden Administration should be commended for working with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states to push for a pathway to a Palestinian state as part of a deal to recognize Israel.
And I think that's a win-win though it doesn't fix every problem in the region. It won't fix the problem of Iran's aggression through proxies. But it would fulfill a dream of the Palestinian people, a dream I hope can be achieved while assuring responsible governance and security in both states.
Callanan: Trust is declining in the US, both in other people and in our institutions. In 2022, only 22% of Americans trusted the government to do the right thing most or all of the time. How does the US lead the way in discussions about international trust at Davos when we lack trust domestically?
Harman: With great difficulty. Our leadership has eroded, and the enemy is us. Political dysfunction is destroying our ability to lead at a time when so many in the world desperately need us to. The good news is that the Biden administration has restored alliances like NATO and built some new coalitions in the Indo-Pacific, like AUKUS and the Quad.
I'm an optimist, or I would have never served nine terms in Congress. But I think this is a very, very steep hill to climb. The problems could not be harder. And without bipartisanship, they'll never be solved.
I think that the Americans who come to Davos, including me, are properly going to get a lot of criticism. Our country is not doing what it needs to do.
Callanan: Throughout your career in Congress and national security, you have had a front-row seat to global cooperation at its finest, and at its worst. Today, the world is confronted with a range of crises that require international cooperation and trust. When it comes to climate change, how do you rebuild trust and cooperation when the players at the table might agree on the outcome, but not on the path to getting there?
Harman: Well, it's easy to make promises; it's hard to keep them. And most of the promises at these climate meetings have not been kept.
They've not been kept for at least two reasons. One is, it takes enormous resources to do the climate transition. The other is that it takes incredible political will.
Then there is another set of problems: Governments can't do this on their own. Technologies and innovation in the private sector are going to figure this out a lot faster than governments will. So cooperation between the private sector and government is crucial. It's just impossible to imagine a real success in combating climate change unless this happens.
Lending institutions will have to provide the money to fund that technology. Banks need to understand that they have to take some risks and lend to the global south, but it would make a big difference if this could be done.
In the end, climate change is truly a global problem. It will not be fixed by a few of the richest countries or the two or three most polluting countries. It has to be fixed on a global basis, and it's a great issue for Davos to talk about.
Too many people have US security clearance: former House Intelligence Committee member
The US government has an over-classification problem. Too many documents are marked "secret" that shouldn't be. And according to this week's guest, the over-classification problem has also created an over-clearance problem. Jane Harman, a former nine-term Congresswoman who led high-level intelligence committees, says that the two problems are closely related. "We over-classify, we over-clear. Our clearance problem is very cumbersome" Harman tells Ian. As a result, many people with clearance tend to err on the side of classifying information rather than risking their position by making public the wrong document.
"I argued we needed a tiered classification system where you can clear people only up to a certain amount. In other words, a person who speaks a regional dialect could be given papers to read, but not told the context of the papers, so that person would just translate the language. "
But, Harman says, we're still a long way from solving this problem.
To see the full interview with Jane Harman, watch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld or on US public television. Check local listings.
US Government information: What's the threshold for "classified"?
There are many reasons for a government to classify information. The US does not want Vladimir Putin getting his hands on our nuclear codes, for example. An estimated 50 million documents are classified every year, though the exact number is unknown—not because it’s classified, but because the government just can’t keep track of it all. But in the words of the former US Solicitor General Erwin Griswold, some “secrets are not worth keeping.”
This week on GZERO World, former Congresswoman Jane Harman argues that America has had for decades an over-classification problem. Harman mentions the findings by the 9/11 Commission, which concluded that a lack of information-sharing between agencies like the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA prevented the US government from foiling the largest terrorist attack ever on American soil. A key reason for that failure: the over-classification of information.
It’s difficult for Americans to understand the actions of their government if much of its work is classified. It also forces journalists to weigh the risks of disclosing information to the public against the possibility of prosecution under the Espionage Act.
Beyond national security concerns, over-classification is also driven by incentives. If you’re a government employee, the risk of classifying something that doesn’t need to be classified is low. But if you un-classify something that you shouldn’t, you're in trouble.
Tune in to “GZERO World with Ian Bremmer” on US public television to watch the full interview. Check local listings.
Is it time for the US government to rethink how it keeps its secrets?
Here’s one of the United States' worst-kept secrets: its flawed classification process. Whether it’s the unnecessary classification of material or the storage of top-secret documents behind a flimsy shower curtain in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom, it’s crucial to address our approach to confidentiality. Joining GZERO World to discuss all things classified, including those documents in Trump’s bathroom, is former Congresswoman Jane Harman. As the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee after 9/11, the nine-term congresswoman has insider knowledge of the matter.
According to Harman, “The only good reason to classify documents is to protect our sources and methods, how we got information.” The 9/11 Commission identified a lack of information-sharing among agencies such as the CIA, the FBI, and NSA as a key reason the government was unable to stop the attacks. Over-classification of information played a significant role in this failure. Approximately 50 million documents are estimated to be classified each year, although the exact number remains unknown—not due to classification, but because the government struggles to keep track of it all. In the words of former US Solicitor General Erwin Griswold, some “secrets are not worth keeping.”
To see the full interview with Jane Harman, watch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld or on US public television. Check local listings.
Podcast: How to fix the US government's classified information problem with Jane Harman
Listen: Maintaining secrecy can be invigorating, whether you're a child with hidden treasures or a CIA agent safeguarding classified information. However, the more secrets you bear, the heavier the burden becomes. This week’s guest, Jane Harman, who served nine terms in Congress and was a ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee after 9/11, understands the weight of secrecy firsthand.
While there are valid justifications for classifying information, Harman asserts that the US government has grappled with an issue of excessive classification for decades. "A bad reason to classify is to protect your turf—you don't want other people to know what you know in order to protect yourself from embarrassment."
The 9/11 Commission revealed that inadequate information-sharing between agencies like the CIA, FBI, and NSA hindered the government's ability to prevent the tragic terrorist attacks. One significant factor contributing to this failure was the over-classification of information. Each year, approximately 50 million documents are estimated to be classified, though the exact count remains elusive—not due to classification, but because the government struggles to effectively manage the vast volume. In the words of former US Solicitor General Erwin Griswold, some “secrets are not worth keeping.”
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.
Jane Harman: Trump trial a distraction away from urgent global crises
GZERO caught up with former US Rep. Jane Harman at the US-Canada Summit in Toronto, hosted by the Eurasia Group and BMO Financial Group.
She shares her thoughts on why Donald Trump's trial in New York helps the former US president politically, and why Finland joining NATO is good for the Finns — and the West.
Harman also weighs in on why the US and Canada are still unprepared for all cybersecurity threats, and the big global problem Washington and Ottawa should try to solve together right now.
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Joe Biden's presidency: biggest surprises, successes and mistakes so far
What surprised Jane Harman, former US Congresswoman (D-CA), most about Joe Biden's presidency? "Number one, he's much more hands-on as a leader than I fully understood. It's coming out now how he runs his meetings and what he does. But number two, and I love this, he's really enjoying the job." Harman, a nine-term member of Congress who served for decades on the major security committees in the House of Representatives, notes that Biden's stint as Vice President was no guarantee of how he would perform. "I think sitting behind that desk, and having the buck stop with him is very different. And I think he fills out the job very well."
In an interview with Ian Bremmer, Harman says Biden has a dimension that none of his four predecessors had, because of his experience in Congress and in foreign policy. She also shares her perspective on Biden's biggest successes as well as some mistakes he's made.
Biden’s foreign policy approach: “Take the foreign out of foreign policy”
Jane Harman, who served nine terms as a US Democratic Congresswoman from California, explains that the Biden administration's approach is "to take the foreign out of foreign policy." Biden's foreign policy strategy starts with restoring alliances, promoting democracy, and making the world safer, prioritizing issues that connect what the US does abroad to concerns at home, says Harman. That means finding a solution to the pandemic both in the US and globally; addressing terrorism abroad and domestically; and climate, which Harman notes, "is a huge part of our security at home and security in the world. Think about it. Half the refugees in the world are climate refugees. They're not terrorism refugees."
Harman, author of the new book, "Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Make Us Less Safe," spoke in an interview with Ian Bremmer.