Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2020-11-16)

(Antfer) #1

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◼ REMARKS Bloomberg Businessweek November 16, 2020

Theexodusofgovernmentscientistswillhamperthe
nation’sabilitytorespondtopandemicsandclimate-related
naturaldisasters.Bidencanstarttoundothedamagebycoax-
ingdepartedexpertstoreturntogovernment—inpartbytak-
ingadvantageofoneofTrump’smoresensiblereforms,which
allowsagenciestorehireformerworkersata higherpaygrade.
Bidenshouldalsoreinstatehundredsofadvisorycom-
mitteesTrumpeliminated, Nourisays,andcombatthe
spreadofscientificdisinformationonsocialmedia,which
is contributingtotheworseningofthepandemic.“Thenext
administrationreallyneedstoestablisha centralinfrastruc-
turetofighthealth-relatedandspecificallyCovid-19-related
disinformation,becauseweknowthatdisinformationis kill-
ingpeople,”hesays.
Restoringpublicconfidenceinscientificauthoritieswill
becrucialtothetaskofdistributinga coronavirusvaccine,
thesuccessofwhichmaydeterminethecourseofBiden’s
presidency.“Whenthevaccineis approved,peoplewillneed
toknowhowsafeit is,”saysPaulWeinstein,a professorof
publicmanagementatJohnsHopkinsUniversityandformer
Clintonadministrationofficial.“Thegovernmentshouldfocus
ontransparency.Peopleshouldbeabletoseethedata.How
allofthatismanagedisgoingtobecritical.If yourunthe
processwell,youcangoa longwaytowardrebuildingpub-
lictrustingovernment.”

②BRINGBACKTHECAREERSTAFF
Thehollowingoutofscientificexpertiseis emblematicofa
widercrisis.Acrosstheentirefederalbureaucracy,Trump’s
pushtodiscredit,marginalize,andremovecareeremploy-
eeshasbeenruthlesslyeffective.Duringthefirstyearofhis
administrationalone,theattritionrateamongmembersof
theSeniorExecutiveService—thegovernment’smostexpe-
riencedemployees—climbed82%.Comparedwithprevious
presidents,Trumphasinstalleda disproportionatelyhigh
numberofhisownappointeesintoleadershiprolesinkey
agencies,attheexpenseofqualifiedcivilservants.
AttheDepartmentofState,allassistantsecretaryofstate
positionsarecurrentlyoccupiedbyactingofficialsorpolitical
appointees;morethanhalfofambassadorshipsareheldby
politicalappointees,ratherthancareerdiplomats,nearlydou-
bletheaveragerateofpreviousadministrations.Inadditionto
hurtingstaffmorale,Trump’srelianceonloyalistshascaused
institutionalinstability.Accordingtoa BrookingsInstitution
study,theTrumpadministrationhasseena 91%turnoverin
themostinfluentialexecutivebranchjobs,morethananyof
itsfivemostrecentpredecessors.
Theleadershipchaosandsideliningofexperiencedstaff
haveacceleratedgovernmentbreakdownsunderTrump,from
theshambolicresponsetoHurricaneMariain 2017 toanimmi-
grationpolicythat’sleftmorethan 600 childrenseparated
fromtheirparentsforclosetothreeyearstotheCovidcrisis.
Atthestartofthepandemic,morethanhalfofthe 70 highest-
ranking positions involved in the pandemic response were
either unfilled or occupied by acting officials.

Brookings’s Light says high-profile federal debacles have
become more common over the past 30 years in part because
of the increase in transient, underqualified political appointees
filling important policymaking roles. There are now at least
4,000 executive branch jobs reserved for political appointees—
double the number in the 1980s and far more than in any other
advanced democracy.
Biden should consciously reverse that trend, Light says.
“There’s always pent-up demand for appointments, and this
administration will be no different. It’s a perfectly reasonable
instinct to put your people in charge. But you’ve got to avoid
the temptation to match Trump pound for pound in terms of
political appointees.”
Max Stier, head of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public
Service,pointstoFauciastheembodimentofthekindofpub-
licservantwhomBidenshouldentrustwithgreaterdecision-
making responsibilities. “If you really want to reform the
government, you need to have good ideas, but you also need
to execute them effectively,” Stier says. “The career workforce
is nottheenemy—infact,it’sthestartingpoint.”

③LET THE WATCHDOGS DO THEIR WORK
Among the most fateful early decisions confronting the new
president will be whether to investigate his predecessor or hold
him accountable by some other means, such as a Sept. 11-style
truth commission. Regardless of how Biden chooses to handle
allegationsagainstTrump,heshouldtakestepstostrengthen
rulesaroundfinancialdisclosure andtransparencyand
reinforce norms against using the levers of government for
personal gain. “There’s so much distrust of everything,” says
Weinstein, the former Clinton official. “It’s going to be import-
ant for Biden to say, ‘There are a set of rules. We’re going to
follow those rules, and we’re going to enforce them.’ And that
includes defining and reinforcing the correct role of the White
House in relationship to the federal agencies.”
His administration should make clear that it will submit to
rigorousoversightfromCongressandwatchdogsinsideand
outsidethegovernment.It canendorselegislationbackedby
congressionalDemocratsthatwouldexpandwhistleblower pro-
tections for federal workers and protect them against retalia-
tion if they file Freedom of Information Act requests in an effort
to expose misconduct.
Also critical will be reinvigorating the offices of federal
inspectors general, the independent watchdogs that probe
and publicize cases of official waste, fraud, and abuse. Earlier
this year, Trump fired the IGs at four different agencies with-
out giving Congress 30 days’ notice or a written explanation,
as required by law. As a first step, Biden can call on Congress
to hold hearings on the motives for Trump’s dismissal of the
IGs. He should then reinstate the watchdogs and allow them
toresumetheirwork.

④MODERNIZE THE GOVERNMENT
The 2 million-person federal bureaucracy has actually grown
slightly under Trump, but it’s reached senescence. Only
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