DOGE: How we Arrived at this Point

Abstract: A series of critical inflection points led us to the point where we currently are with a strong central government with several corrupt and potentially criminal acts. If it was not the federal government, elements of the central government could be subject to RICO. The key inflection points center around the Progressive Era in the early 20th century and include the Wilsonian bureaucratic reforms, the 16th Amendment and the 17th Amendment to the Constitution. Real reform must address these areas. Otherwise DOGE may save some money this year, but will not fundamentally change how the government is structured or operates.

The US has moved considerably away from the federalism of the founders envisioned. I looked at the inflection points of change in Powershift, Part 1: Overview of the Inflection Points and follow-on parts, especially Power Shift, Part 4: The Spanish-American War, the American Empire, and Progressivism. The central government gained considerable power at the expense of the states. This is especially true during the Progressive Era with the Spanish American War launching American Imperialism and the 16^th and 17^th Amendments to the constitution aggregating central power. This period also saw the rise of F. W. Taylor’s Scientific Management and Woodrow Wilson’s reform of the central bureaucracy. These events are critical to understand why we have the DOGE effort. And DOGE needs to understand them to effectively reform the federal system.

F.W. Taylor championed scientific management during the late 19^th century and early 20th century. Geeks for Geeks has a nice graphic that shows the principles of scientific management. This movement championed a new approach to management and brought management into the industrial age and impelled new techniques and approaches at a time when management was under scrutiny in the Progressive Era. DOGE seems focused on the first principle and perhaps with the fourth principle as it identifies issues. For the moment, the 2^nd and 4^th seem to be at best in the background.

Woodrow Wilson both studied scientific management, the spoils system that governed the central bureaucracy. He combined the principles of scientific management with a complete reform of the central bureaucracy in an attempt to make it more efficient. This spawned a series of civil service laws, leading to the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. While the intent of the reform was to make the bureaucracy more efficient, the result was to create a large, unelected 4^th branch of government with plenty of measures to protect the bureaucrats.

As Wilson was reforming the bureaucracy, the states approved the 16^th and 17^th Amendments to the Constitution. These two arguably marginalized the states and pave the way for a strong, well-funded central bureaucracy. The 16^th Amendment did two things. First, it created the income tax and second; it allowed Congress to spend money anyway it wanted, with little or no regard for the sources, especially the states. The 17^th Amendment made senators popularly elected. Prior to the amendment, states appointed senators, and the senators represented the states. This change undermined state checks and control and potentially freed the central bureaucracy even more. 1913 was a huge year for the growth of the central government and the bureaucracy. It was also a terrible year for the Federal Republic.

If DOGE and the rest of the Trump administration want real reform and change, they need to address the problems surrounding an unaccountable 4^th branch of government and how it is funded. Identifying problem spending and recovering it does not result in reform or lasting change. The only way DOGE will make a lasting difference.

Some recommendations to create last are:

• Repeal the 17^th Amendment to reassert state control over the federal government.
• Amend the 16^th Amendment to require a balanced budget and ratable spending among the states.
• Reform the income tax system to remove loopholes and simplify it.
• Reform the civil service.
• Restore accountability to the bureaucracy.
• Streamline the central government and eliminate departments and agencies that do not directly support the purpose of the government as expressed in the Preamble to the Constitution.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”