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Cato Daily Podcast

Replacing Federal Bureaucrats and the Trump Agenda

Mar 29, 2024
Policy expert Tom Firey from the Cato Institute discusses the challenges of replacing federal bureaucrats to advance the Trump agenda. Topics include misconceptions about the federal bureaucracy, analysis of Schedule F, government bureaucracy incentives, and the ineffective effort to insert Trump supporters into government roles.
14:53

Episode guests

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Quick takeaways

  • Making it easier to fire career bureaucrats might not necessarily guarantee smoother implementation of the Trump administration's agenda.
  • Replacing experienced civil servants with politically affiliated individuals could compromise policy execution and lead to inefficiency.

Deep dives

Trump's Attempt to Fire Bureaucrats

Efforts are being made to grant President Trump the authority to dismiss rank-and-file executive agency employees more easily. The objective is linked to the belief that the former administration faced challenges implementing its agenda due to career bureaucrats blocking progress. The idea is met with caution by Tom Fiery, who explains the potential repercussions faced by Team Trump if a higher number of bureaucrats can be terminated at will. He highlights a historical account illustrating the practice of patronage, emphasizing the consequences of replacing skilled personnel with politically affiliated individuals.

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