Trump's Executive Branch Restructuring: What If The Federal Government Is Beyond Streamlining?

Clyde Wayne Crews  June 25, 2018

Can the federal government shrink? Or is the situation like the waistlines that paradoxically parallel the growth of the diet and fitness industry? Over a year ago, the White House announced executive order 13,781 on executive branch reorganization, targeting "where multiple Federal agencies interact in fragmented or duplicative ways." Reform proposals included "merging agencies, components, programs, or activities that have similar missions." The campaign presented an important opportunity to discover that, if an agency is engaging in needless regulation, then perhaps we do not need that agency after all. As my colleague Iain Murray noted about the plan, the impulse of better services for the citizen “customer” as opposed to the bureaucrat is commendable. There are important and worthwhile recommendations contained within, but this report does not quite herald the downsizing of government one might have expected, even if Congress were to enact all of it. In its own way that’s alarming. After an administration like Trump's, who would propose a more "radical" restructuring agenda later?.............Other detailed proposals to reduce spending on redundancy and duplication, fraud and abuse have been available for years. These include the Heritage Foundation's many nominations for eliminations and consolidations; the "Wastebook" produced by former Sen. Tom Coburn; and the famous Citizens Against Government Waste "Pig Book." ...........

Ultimately the task of streamlining will need to extend beyond improving agencies as customer service entities and consolidation, and more deeply rethink the basic role of the federal government relative to the rest of society. Some remember hearing of President Ronald Reagan, in his inaugural address, saying "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."

Has that changed?..........To Read More....