Why would an army of experts join a new agency for little pay now that they know a new republican president will erase all their work just as it’s getting started?
Replies
It's both a supply and demand problem. You need a supply of expert and experienced individuals willing to serve. You also need elected officials who have sufficient incentives to build. The public wants things to work, but they struggle to trace policy failures to the government in the first place.
aug 19, 2025, 2:35 pm • 3 0 • view
On the last point, I think that can be overcome by building institutions that solve problems quickly ("deliverism", but actually done well). On elected officials: I think that's the deep political problem given party capture by elite donors. Need some insurgency.
aug 19, 2025, 2:38 pm • 0 0 • view
I think outside options for experts are also getting worse, absent reconstruction. Academy is being attacked, tech is cutting workers and full of fascist assholes chasing bullshit, finance can be alienating for public interested folks
aug 19, 2025, 2:39 pm • 0 0 • view
💯💯💯💯
aug 19, 2025, 2:36 pm • 0 0 • view
Well, I think plenty of people of experts would want to try anyway and plenty more would want to try for spite now. But I also think the project would have to be one that would aim to be transformative enough to prevent Rs from winning in the near term. New Deal style
aug 19, 2025, 2:35 pm • 2 0 • view
I think we agree that it can't be normal politics. Would have to be embedded in a project of court reform (and packing), adding more states, prosecuting MAGA officials, etc
aug 19, 2025, 2:36 pm • 1 0 • view
Okay, so we disagree about the market for expertise in capacity building after Trump. Cool, who knows, right? But following through on my recommendations (when they come out lol) is totally compatible with a transformative agenda. So no reason not to redo the political basis of capacity.
aug 19, 2025, 2:41 pm • 1 0 • view
There's also something potentially productive about the fact that the pool of potential experts would skew toward the more confrontational/risk tolerant
aug 19, 2025, 2:46 pm • 1 0 • view
You’ve given me a vision of radicalized NOAA scientists and I’m here for it.
aug 19, 2025, 2:48 pm • 1 0 • view
They can be as radicalised as they like, doesn't matter if as you allude to govt changes hands every 4 years and views on admin capacity vacillate. So, the main thing progs must do is flood the airwaves with never ending propaganda about how amazing the bureaucrats are, otherwise they're out of luck
aug 19, 2025, 9:45 pm • 1 0 • view
A lot of my former colleagues have sworn off government service. It’s done nothing but introduce chaos into their lives and the lives of their families.
aug 19, 2025, 2:33 pm • 1 0 • view