But more surprising is the ease with which the more radical reform ideas have taken centre-stage.
But the most important of the new ideas is a reform of the country's inefficient and unfair criminal-justice system.
Yesterday Medicare formally announced the opening of its Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, an office created by the health reform legislation to pioneer ideas that improve the quality and lower the cost of health care.
And, thus far, the state governors' ideas of reform simply involve transferring more of the costs to Uncle Sam.
The Governor had good ideas on tax reform and other issues but most of the time his approach suggested they were almost sideshows.
This week marked a critical step in this process, as OMB published a set of potential reform ideas in the Federal Register to solicit public feedback.
John McCain, Arizona's senior senator, who faces a primary challenger running hard against illegal immigration, dropped his reform ideas and joined the calls to secure the border first.
Another Calgarian, Ralph Klein, though a Conservative, as premier of Alberta since 1993 was the first to put Reform's ideas into practice, slashing spending on health and education and privatising many government services.
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In the muddle of new ideas and policy gimmicks that characterises the debate over American education reform, ending social promotion is now the most popular proposal.
Like many reform ideas before it, the NCEE report is simply too optimistic for its own good.
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That is exactly what happened recently when the news broke that the White House -- working with Senate Republicans -- was suggesting ideas of its own for how to reform the immigration system.
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In a speech in Kent, Mr Cameron said he wanted to debate ideas for welfare reform before the Conservatives produced their manifesto for the next general election.
Second, the Bush administration has its own ideas about FHA reform.
Other senators floated ideas for intelligence reform, such as increasing the DNI's budget and personnel authorities.
Mr Blustein has some ideas about what should be done to reform the WTO and strengthen multilateralism.
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"I was suggesting various ideas for health care reform that did not involve the public option, and that was the focus at that time, " he said.
Sure, we should remain skeptical of the next reform fad, but we still need to try out new ideas, give choice a chance, and and remain just as skeptical of the status quo.
The interagency team could, for instance, recommend sensible reforms to our high-skilled immigration policy, improvements in intellectual-property law, better-designed grant programs that push innovative ideas from universities into companies, regulatory reform around the approval of drugs and medical devices, and policies to sustain a robust venture-capital industry and investments in science and math education.
"We're looking at all sorts of ideas, and we do want to accelerate the pace of reform, " Powell told reporters.
Though it is a traditional Labour strength, Mr Hague thinks that health too can be turned to the Tories' advantage if the government fails to perform and his own party produces bold ideas for reform.
Pass the patent reform bill to help our innovators and entrepreneurs get their job-creating ideas to market faster.
We've seen many in this chamber work tirelessly for the better part of this year to offer thoughtful ideas about how to achieve reform.
Our reform proposal includes a range of ideas that we feel will strengthen the oversight of Federal grants and make them more effective and efficient.
And I'm reminded that when it came to health insurance reform in particular, I sought out and supported Republican ideas from the start -- so did you.
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But if the past year's legislative record is any indication, Gates' ideas on immigration reform will go nowhere in 2008.
Grace-Marie Turner is president of the Galen Institute, a non-profit research organization focusing on free-market ideas for health reform.
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With economic reform and new business ideas sweeping India, it was just a matter of time before the EPG was born.
On immigration reform, the criticism in the past has been that you did not put forth legislation with specific ideas and send it up to the Hill.
Again, I think that the product that comes out of Thursday is dependent upon the Republican willingness to come and discuss health care solutions and be open to ideas and ensuring that those ideas are passed on to the people in the form of a change in health care reform.
So there are plenty of ideas around - for rapid economic stimulus, financial reform and a bigger war chest for the IMF.
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