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William Resh
A new report from the Partnership for Public Service by Chris Piper highlights a critical issue for those invested in democratic governance. The data is alarming. The federal government currently has 1,835 Schedule C (non-Senate confirmed) political appointees, surpassing the numbers seen under any modern president and occurring at an unprecedented pace. Concurrently, the career Senior Executive Service has diminished by nearly 30%, decreasing from over 8,100 to fewer than 5,900. This marks a record low in at least 25 years. While every president has the right to appoint political positions, the American system has historically depended on a balance between political leadership and career professionals. The SES was intended to connect these two groups, filled through rigorous competitive processes and held to performance accountability that political appointees often do not face. This balance is now being destroyed. The implications are profound: an increase in political control coupled with a decline in institutional knowledge and independent expertise essential for effective governance. With the potential for Schedule Policy/Career to remove civil service protections from tens of thousands of federal employees, we are witnessing a significant transformation of the administrative state. Experts in public administration (including Chris's mentor, David Lewis) have long cautioned against the dangers of politicization, which can lead to reduced capacity, adverse selection in the career workforce, and the loss of institutional memory necessary for public service across administrations. This report substantiates those concerns with unprecedented empirical evidence. It is essential to engage with this report and consider its findings. We are in the midst of a fundamental reshaping of federal leadership and the criteria by which it operates. And the primary criterion seems to be loyalty to one person; the constitution, established laws, and norms be damned. https://lnkd.in/ea8P5wZw
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