The hottest Government Ethics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

Trump's Schedule F Rule Finalized

Can We Still Govern? • 324 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Ethics
  1. The new Schedule Policy/Career rule removes job protections for many policy-making federal employees, making it much easier to fire them and weakening whistleblower and oversight safeguards.
  2. The rule ignores broad public and expert opposition and misrepresents research, while claiming politicization won’t occur and pushing a legal theory that expands presidential removal power.
  3. Lawsuits are likely, but if the rule stands it could hollow out the civil service, strip union protections, suppress transparency, and create long-term political control and instability in government.

Foreign Lobbying Is Booming in Trump’s Washington

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 102 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Ethics
  1. Foreign governments and companies are spending big on Washington lobbyists to get access to the Trump administration.
  2. Since the 2024 election there have been over 380 new foreign lobbying registrations, a higher total than in the comparable period under any of the last seven presidents.
  3. Critics say this boom clashes with "America First" goals, because tariff fights and new trade deals are creating lucrative opportunities for lobbyists to influence policy.

We Are Done With This

Charles Eisenstein • 15 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Ethics
  1. Government messaging and top officials are treating war like a video game or a joke, which dehumanizes victims and glamorizes violence.
  2. That dehumanization is widespread and fuels imperialist wars. We need a broad social movement that goes beyond opposing one leader and works to remove warmongers from power.
  3. True patriotism means recognizing the inherent dignity of every person and redirecting resources toward healing people and the planet instead of maintaining a trillion-dollar military.

DOGE and the Backlash to the Backlash

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1335 implied HN points • 11 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Ethics
  1. Elon Musk's DOGE initiative brought back a staffer who resigned after making racist posts online. This decision was based on a poll where most respondents agreed with his reinstatement.
  2. The backlash against 'woke culture' is linked to reactions against public figures losing their jobs over offensive past statements. Many incidents involved celebrities and public figures being fired for things they said or did online.
  3. As younger people in the DOGE initiative are heavily active online, more controversial past comments may emerge. This raises concerns about the kinds of people joining government positions and their influence.

Trump in the Dock

OLD GOATS with Jonathan Alter • 805 implied HN points • 15 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Ethics
  1. Fewer people protested than expected at Trump's arraignment, potentially due to deterrence from aggressive prosecution of insurrectionists.
  2. Trump's dwindling support is reflected in his fundraising challenges, which could impact his future campaigns.
  3. Judge Cannon's actions in the Mar-a-Lago documents trial could significantly influence the outcome, with potential for a change in venue.
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It Pays to Be a Friend of Donald Trump

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 639 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Ethics
  1. Rod Blagojevich and Eric Adams benefited from their connections to Donald Trump, suggesting his influence on legal outcomes.
  2. Blagojevich switched from being a Democratic governor to showing support for Trump, which helped him secure a pardon.
  3. The situation raises questions about how justice is applied if political connections can sway legal decisions.

Federal workers fired to improve efficiency - media outraged; Federal workers fired for not complying with an unethical vaccine mandate - media silent

Vinay Prasad's Observations and Thoughts • 221 implied HN points • 27 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Ethics
  1. The media shows a double standard when covering different types of worker firings. They react strongly to layoffs for efficiency but often ignore firings for not taking vaccines.
  2. Vaccine mandates raised ethical concerns because they did not significantly protect others and forced individuals to lose their jobs. Many people who were fired have not been given a voice in media discussions.
  3. The way the media reports on firings affects public trust in vaccines. Layoffs from companies like Elon Musk's may feel random, but firings due to vaccine mandates can lead to specific anger and distrust.

John Horgan Listened To Me But Then He Didn't. I Was Thrown Out Of The NDP.

C.O.P. Central Organizing Principle. • 0 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Ethics
  1. John Horgan took action to help the homeless during COVID by approving a policy to put them in hotel rooms. This move not only supported vulnerable people but also helped the hospitality industry.
  2. The CERT program was created to provide direct payments to Canadians, helping many survive the economic impacts of the pandemic. This program influenced further economic support for small businesses.
  3. Horgan faced backlash after implementing vaccine mandates, leading to a personal split with those who opposed them. This situation highlighted tensions around medical ethics and government policies during the pandemic.