The hottest Civil Service Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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What research tells us about politicization and state capacity

Can We Still Govern? • 181 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Civil Service Policy Analysis
  1. Politicization in government can lead to lower performance and higher corruption. When hiring focuses on political loyalty rather than skills, it results in less competent people in key roles.
  2. State capacity, or the government's ability to perform effectively, can be weakened by politicization. This makes it harder for governments to achieve their policy goals and respond effectively to public needs.
  3. Investing in state capacity takes time and is often not rewarded by voters. People tend to support immediate relief efforts rather than long-term improvements that strengthen government functions.

The Personalist Presidency

Can We Still Govern? • 172 implied HN points • 18 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political theory Government Power Election Dynamics Political Behavior Civil Service
  1. The 'personalist presidency' emphasizes loyalty to one leader more than established rules or policies. This means that appointments and governance often depend on who is loyal rather than who is most qualified.
  2. Governance by fear is a new tactic that uses threats and conspiratorial messaging to intimidate public officials. This environment discourages dissent and makes it harder for them to do their jobs.
  3. There is a trend toward weakening traditional civil service protections, allowing more political appointees and less experienced individuals to take on critical roles. This change can lead to instability and inefficiency in government.

Lessons About the Civil Service and Political Appointees

Cremieux Recueil • 567 implied HN points • 18 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Civil Service Governance Party Affiliation Bureaucracy
  1. Civil servants often prioritize their own beliefs over the goals of the president, which can create problems in running the government. This misalignment can lead to delays and increased costs in government projects.
  2. Political loyalty plays a big role in how well civil servants perform their jobs. When civil servants are aligned with the president's party, they tend to work more effectively and efficiently, saving the government time and money.
  3. Changes in political leadership can affect civil servants' loyalties, but many will still lean toward their original party. This can create challenges for a new administration trying to implement its policies, especially if they face resistance from a predominantly opposing workforce.

Dominic Cummings, An Underrated Precedent for DOGE

From the New World • 75 implied HN points • 04 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Governance Bureaucracy Political Reform Civil Service Political Science
  1. The UK government’s quick adaptations in tech and services during crises show a more centralized political system. This makes it easier to change things than in the US.
  2. Bureaucratic hiring processes in America often lead to unqualified candidates, which slows down progress. A more efficient system is needed for better talent acquisition.
  3. Fundamental reforms in government agencies are essential for improving efficiency and competence in services. It's not just about ideology; it's about making systems work better.

Jimmy Carter as public manager

Can We Still Govern? • 205 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political Reform Civil Service Presidential History
  1. Jimmy Carter was the last U.S. President to pass significant civil service reforms, focusing on modernizing and protecting government workers from political interference. This shows how important it is to balance accountability and ethics in government.
  2. Carter introduced the idea of Zero-Based Budgeting to the federal government, but it didn't work. This highlights the challenges of applying private sector methods in a political system that operates differently.
  3. The principles set by Carter's reforms for federal employees emphasize fairness and merit, which are important for creating a trustworthy government. Striking the right balance between political influence and protection for government workers is still an ongoing debate.
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The civil service is about to take over the government

Striking 13 • 2455 implied HN points • 13 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Leadership Policy Civil Service Governance
  1. The government is shifting towards being run by civil servants under Keir Starmer's leadership.
  2. Organizational competence is a critical factor for governmental success and the current UK government has been lacking in this aspect.
  3. The success of a civil-service-led government is crucial in restoring public trust in politics and combating conservative populism.

January 28, 2025

Letters from an American • 24 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political strategy Electoral Politics Civil Service Executive Power Foreign Aid
  1. Trump's Project 2025 aims to turn federal agencies into places with loyal supporters instead of nonpartisan civil servants. This plan seeks to expand presidential power and promote a strong executive control over the government.
  2. The new rules from Trump's administration allow him to remove civil service protections for many federal workers, forcing them to follow his orders or risk losing their jobs. This is seen as a significant threat to the independence of federal agencies like the Department of Justice.
  3. The Trump administration has paused federal grants and loans, creating uncertainty for many programs that aid communities. Critics argue this move undermines important services and threatens lives, showing a blatant disregard for laws established by Congress.

The least significant cases of the decade

Adam's Legal Newsletter • 239 implied HN points • 28 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal analysis Supreme Court Civil Service
  1. The Supreme Court ruled on cases that were deemed to be the least significant of the decade, based on various factors like legal issues, difficulty, and practical impact.
  2. The cases analyzed had low scores for interesting facts, law, and difficulty, with some even receiving a total score of zero for insignificance.
  3. Specific cases like 'Kloeckner v. Solis' were highlighted for being particularly unremarkable in terms of facts, law, significance, and practical impact.

A tangible thing you can do today to fight Trump's takeover of the federal government

Can We Still Govern? • 215 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Government Civil Service Accountability Partisanship
  1. You can take action against Trump's attempt to politicize the federal government by commenting on a proposed rule to neuter Schedule F.
  2. Public comments on rules can influence policy decisions and help protect the independence of the bureaucracy.
  3. Increasing politicization of government agencies can lead to lower performance, reduced accountability, and less responsiveness to Congress and the public.

How Politics Worked

David Friedman’s Substack • 179 implied HN points • 29 Dec 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Primary elections Political Influence Civil Service Political Systems
  1. Plunkitt of Tammany Hall describes and defends the machine system of politics in New York City in the early 20th century.
  2. Richardson's book explains how the precinct executives played a crucial role in the machine system by managing to swing a majority of votes in primary elections.
  3. The debate arises on whether the machine system of politics, as described by Plunkitt and Richardson, was a positive or negative force compared to modern democracy.