Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps

“PROJECT 2025” with Skye Perryman

Jul 30, 2024

Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, discusses the alarming implications of Project 2025, which could transform federal civil servants into political appointees. She and Josh explore the potential threats to democracy, including rising extremism and the erosion of court independence. They examine the need for social justice reforms, judicial accountability, and the impact of extremist agendas on public sentiment. Skye emphasizes the critical role of education and civil rights amid these political changes.

01:02:28

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Skye Perryman

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Project 2025 aims to politicize civil service roles, risking government efficiency and integrity by prioritizing loyalty over competence.

The potential authoritarian implications of Project 2025 could lead to punitive measures against dissenters, undermining democratic norms and accountability.

Proposals for Supreme Court reform by President Biden seek to reaffirm legal accountability and address judicial overreach amidst growing concerns.

Deep dives

Project 2025's Threat to Civil Servants

Project 2025 seeks to undermine the integrity of the U.S. civil service by reclassifying career civil servants as political appointees. This shift would allow for the dismissal of career professionals based on political loyalty rather than competence, which could severely damage the non-partisan nature of federal services. The proposal aims to implement a system where public servants must comply with the political ideologies of the current administration, potentially leading to a government staffed with individuals lacking necessary expertise. This undermining of civil service risks the core functions of government, ultimately affecting areas like public health and environmental protection.

Intro

2min

Exploring Agency and Empathy in Social Discourse

4min

Navigating Social Justice and Political Dynamics

10min

Court Reform and the Future of Justice

18min

The Threat of Project 2025

19min

Funding, Rights, and Educational Standards

5min

The Rise of Extremism and Public Sentiment

3min

Project 2025, technically the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, is a set of sweeping policy changes to be enacted on Day One of the next conservative administration. If Trump wins, that’s January 20th, 2025. Skye Perryman is one of the project’s leading opponents.

She’s the president and CEO of Democracy Forward, a non-profit that promotes democracy through court cases, lobbying and education. Washingtonian magazine named her one of this year’s Most Influential People Shaping Policy and her legal work has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Skye and Josh debate what really matters in the stoush over Project 2025 and what Trump Round Two might look like.

This episode is a taste of a longer conversation. To hear the full chat and get more Uncomfortable Conversations content, head to: https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe

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