Can the vast federal bureaucracy save the republic?
While President Elect Trump tweets his way toward his inauguration, fears continue to grow among those who oppose his presidency, as it turns out, that is the majority of voters. What Trump says, or tweets, may be a greater danger to our nation than what his administration does.
His unpredictable rants could provoke an economic catastrophe, international incident, social unrest at home or who knows what. As for what his administration is able to do, that is another matter and may be less worrisome. It may be out of his hands.
The vast federal bureaucracy that so many disparage may actually save the republic. There is nothing of substance that the executive branch can do without implementing it through the government professionals, the bureaucrats that actually keep the federal government running from day to day.
Keep in mind that for the last eight years, bureaucrats have been hired and working in the Obama administration. Many of the appointees, those at will personnel brought in with the Obama administration, have been burrowing in for over a year, with significant numbers of the most senior personnel dating back to the Clinton administration. These professionals, experts in their respective fields, will generally have little enthusiasm for significant dramatic change.
It will take the new president a year or more to get all of his approximately 4,000 appointees in place and much longer for them to get some level of, often minimal, control over their operations. Entrenched bureaucrats will be protecting their turf, their jobs, their operations and the mission of their organizations as they see those missions.
It has been said that government professionals often refer to presidential appointees as the “Christmas help” because of the temporary nature of their service. Appointees frequently leave their jobs prior to the end of a president’s term, particularly if they believe their guy may not get reelected. Their time to affect change is limited lessoning the chance for them to make a significant impact one way or the other.
Having spent a number of years in federal service through three presidents and countless appointees, I have seen this in practice, up close and personal. It often prevents the implementation of good or promising programs, but it also provides a safeguard of sorts, keeping the bureaucratic train from going off of the rails. It can prevent the implementation of policy that may have a detrimental impact on the nation, a sector of the economy or segment of the population.
If lasting damage is to be done, it will likely come from actions of the House and Senate. They are the ones who control the budget and the passing of legislation.
This is not to say there may not be a bumpy road ahead. It is only intended to provide some solace to those who fear what might come in the Trump administration. In the long run it may be the bureaucrats that save the republic.
Tsar Nicholas II said of the bureaucracy, “I do not rule Russia. 10,000 clerks do.”
