Can We Still Govern?

Can We Still Govern? explores the intersection of government quality, public policy, administration burdens, and political influence on governmental functionality. It addresses issues like DEI, administrative competence, political accountability, the impact of ideological priorities over organizational goals, and strategies to improve governance through reducing administrative sludge and protecting democratic processes.

Government Quality Public Policy Administrative Burdens Political Accountability Ideological Influence on Governance Democratic Processes Organizational Management Judicial Decisions

The hottest Substack posts of Can We Still Govern?

And their main takeaways

What "Mandate for Leadership" Says About the GOP's Governing Philosophy

124 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Authoritarianism Conservative movement Trump administration Political Ideologies
  1. The GOP's governing philosophy outlined in 'Mandate for Leadership' leans towards authoritarianism and challenges traditional democratic norms.
  2. The document highlights a disdain for science and evidence, advocating for the dismissal of agencies producing research on climate change.
  3. There is a push in 'Mandate for Leadership' to purge ideologically suspect individuals, including enforcing terminations for past participation in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Why the First Impeachment Matters

157 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Impeachment Foreign Policy Congress Whistleblowers Accountability
  1. The first impeachment reveals how Trump thinks about public power and governs.
  2. Trump's actions during the first impeachment show he prioritizes personal interests in foreign policy and seeks to usurp Congressional power.
  3. In a second Trump administration, expect evasions of accountability, loyalty to political hacks, and attacks on career officials who do the right thing.

What I wrote in the New York Times about Trump's authoritarian plans

172 implied HN points • 28 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Authoritarianism Government Presidential Power Public Services Democracy
  1. The stakes are high as Trump aims to transform the American government in an authoritarian direction.
  2. Trump's plan involves appointing loyalists, undermining career civil servants, and leveraging government resources for his personal and political gain.
  3. There is a serious threat to democracy if Trump's authoritarian blueprint succeeds, leading to a weaker government and dismantling of limits on presidential power.

The weirdo hypocrites behind the book bans

160 implied HN points • 10 Dec 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Education Gender identity
  1. The book banners exhibit hypocrisy by misrepresenting books, their identities, and their motives.
  2. Individual motives behind the effort to ban books vary, including sincere fears, business strategies, and media or political profile building.
  3. Many prominent figures leading book bans display questionable judgment, engage in political stunts, and lack the trustworthiness to make educational decisions.
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The heads-I-win, tails-you-lose democracy

202 implied HN points • 15 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Democracy Elections Impeachment Political Power
  1. Republicans in Wisconsin are using undemocratic means to hold onto power despite losing elections.
  2. Gerrymandering in Wisconsin undermines democracy by allowing Republicans to maintain power without being responsive to majority opinion.
  3. The Wisconsin GOP's actions, like threatening to impeach judges, firing election officials, and proposing new maps, show a pattern of abusing power to protect their political dominance.

Choosing to rebuild state capacity - IRS edition

90 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Opposition
  1. Collecting revenue is crucial for a country to achieve its policy goals, so supporting a functional revenue system benefits everyone.
  2. The IRS has become more effective in closing the tax gap with new funding, aiming to collect billions from tax evaders.
  3. Improving customer service and piloting new innovations like free e-filing can modernize the IRS, but funding disputes and political opposition may hinder progress.

Unveiling the authoritarian roadmap

154 implied HN points • 02 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Authoritarianism Democracy Partisanship Administration Government
  1. Schedule F could increase politicization in the American government by allowing more political appointees and weakening job protections for career officials.
  2. The Heritage Foundation is pushing for a plan that could jeopardize American democracy by undermining the civil service system and concentrating power with potential for authoritarian misuse.
  3. There is a need for the center-left to develop its own agenda focused on restoring American administrative capacity, balancing the concerns about government efficiency with safeguarding democratic principles.