Trump and the Bureaucrats: The Fate of Neutral Competence

Description

This volume discusses the long term impacts of the Trump presidency on the federal bureaucracy. Drawing on the longstanding academic literature on neutral competence and interviews with the bureaucrats themselves, this book adds insight to the academic question of the role of bureaucrats in a democratic system after a four-year period in which their role has been questioned and threatened as never before. Focusing on the elite agencies of the Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office, as well as the Economic Research Service at the Department of Agriculture, the chapters evaluate individual experiences of members of each agency during the Trump presidency through the lens of the growing tension between politics and administration. Enlightening the role that bureaucrats play in American democracy in an era when polarization is on the rise and disputes over the role of the civil service are growing, this volume will be of interest to scholars and students in public policy, political science, and public administration as well as policymakers and members of the US federal government workforce. Acknowledgments Contents About the Author Chapter 1: The Appeal of Neutral Competence Politics and Administration: Neutrality and Competence Competence Neutrality Non-academic Perspectives on Bureaucratic Neutrality (and Competence) What Has Changed? Chapter 2: Where to Find Neutral Competence OMB, CBO, and GAO The Office of Management and Budget The Congressional Budget Office The Government Accountability Office Other Executive Branch Agencies Talking to Agency Officials Chapter 3: The Office of Management and Budget: When Responsive Competence Isn’t Enough Introduction The History of BoB/OMB OMB’s Structure and People The Perspective of OMB Employees Competence at OMB Neutrality at OMB OMB Under Trump Ukraine, Schedule F, and Neutral Competence Conclusion Chapter 4: Congressional Budget Office: Wonks Protected by Congressional Committees A Brief History of Neutral Competence at CBO CBO’s Nature, Structure, and People The Perspective of CBO Employees Competence at CBO Neutrality at CBO Challenges of Polarization and the Trump Era Conclusion Chapter 5: The Government Accountability Office: Redefining But Maintaining Neutral Competence The History of GAO GAO’s Structure and People The Perspective of GAO Employees Competence at GAO Neutrality at GAO Challenges of Polarization and the Trump Era Conclusion Chapter 6: The Economic Research Service: Attacking Neutral Competence by Going Around the Rules The History of the ERS The Move to Kansas City Neutral Competence at ERS and the Move to Kansas City Neutrality and Competence at ERS Perspectives on the Move to Kansas City Conclusion Chapter 7: The Four Ps of Protecting Neutral Competence People Who Create and Lead Neutral Competent Agencies Procedural Protections for Neutral Competence Political Support The Paradox of Proximity to Power Conclusion OMB ERS CBO and GAO Chapter 8: The State and Fate of Neutral Competence The State of Neutral Competence The Fate of Neutral Competence Final Thoughts Appendix: Interview Script Introduction Interview Questions Conclusion Bibliography