The Deliberate Decimation of the Federal Workforce

Thee Nation ^ | 12/18/25 | Sasha Abramsky

[cotton1706]

Systems built up over the past 120 years, from Progressive Era regulatory agencies through New Deal and Great Society social programs, and on to the expansions of healthcare and food stamp programs of the past 15 years, are being eliminated or eroded at warp speed, as is the notion of a professionalized civil service largely insulated from the diktats, the cronyism, and the vengeful impulses of a single leader. And while many lower courts have, when presented with lawsuits by government employees’ unions and other affected groups, attempted to slow this process, the Trumpified Supreme Court has largely rubber-stamped it, even if only temporarily.

As a result, the redistributive power of the federal government—one that made great projects such as the electrification of poor rural areas and the construction of national transportation systems possible—is being cast aside. And the ability of the federal government to use its muscle to expand civil and political rights to historically marginalized groups is being deliberately destroyed.

---

TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS:

[cotton1706]

Cushy jobs for millions who do nothing worthwhile.

There's always your state or local government if your looking for the same type of job.

[Jonty30]

That’s the point. The feds should not be doing the jobs that belong to the states. If a state deems a department as important, it can open up it’s own agency.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Three quarters of them can’t even tell you their job description. All they know is that they should stay home in case anyone calls to see if they are working.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Says the ‘journalist’ with a second generation Polish name.

[Da Coyote]

More of what we voted for. I look forward to the decimation of the “The Nation” - a rag pushing a failed philosophy that has killed millions. Shove it up your Marx-hole, Nation. Breathe deeply.

[Jeff Vader]

Good! I voted for this.

[rbg81]

If a Dem ever becomes POTUS again (more like when than if), look for them to reinstate all fired bureaucrats with BACK PAY. Even if that is years worth of back pay. Would not be surprised if they are selective about who they rehire as well (commies only).

[meadsjn]

The whole $38 Trillion national debt is money stolen by government corruptocrats.

They can ESAD.

[pierrem15]

There's never been anything like a "a professionalized civil service." Every so-called expert was put in place based on a "expertise" that always called for more government, more taxes, more regulation.

Everything from running a business to building a home is like the Simoniacs in Dante's Inferno: you have to wear the lead robes of taxes, regulations, endless inspections and meddling. If you stop for a minute the robes heat up. And there's always the implicit "pay off a politician" to get relief.

The system is not only wholly corrupt, but corrupt in the worst way because it claims self-righteously to be beating you for your own good based on "expert" decisions not subject to democratic decision making.

[bk1000]

I’m tired of hearing about “historically marginalized groups”.

[Vision]

The author failed to mention the catastrophic debt cycle we are in. How convenient.

[ansel12]

“””””As a result, the redistributive power of the federal government—one that made great projects such as the electrification of poor rural areas and the construction of national transportation systems possible—is being cast aside. And the ability of the federal government to use its muscle to expand civil and political rights to historically marginalized groups is being deliberately destroyed.””””””

The first is the ancient past with no modern examples of greatness, the second part describes how it bloated and what it turned into.

[Uncle Miltie]

Yay!

I voted for this.

[17th Miss Regt]

The Nation - trying to make their Marx on history!

[Sirius Lee]

And the ability of the federal government to use its muscle to expand civil and political rights to historically marginalized groups is being deliberately destroyed.

Balderdash! Thanks to DEI, affirmative action, and a thoroughly corrupt administration sovietize judiciary, the "marginalized" they speak of already enjoy superior rights to normies who are now the marginalized.

The swamp draining must continue.

[Robert DeLong]

The Nation is a leftist progressive publicarion. That’s all one really needs to know, to understand both their objective & narrative goals.

[13Sisters76]

THIS is what we voted for, getting rid of all these arrogant, useless swamp critters and shutting the agencies down.
The DOE because of the inestimable damage they have done to public education;
The EPA because of the damage and oppression they have brought to small business;
The FBI and CIA because of the attempted coups (some successful), the treason and the lawfare;

And that’s just a start.

[ConservativeMind]

Nice one.

[rlmorel]

The author says this as if having a bloated and constantly expanding Federal Government is a good thing. It is largely a jobs program that supports red tape and bureaucracy that exists only to provide jobs, a self-licking ice cream cone.

There are a lot of people who are completely fine with this. On my street, I pass a car every day (a Prius mind you) that has a bumper sticker that says “I love federal workers“.

Of course, for years they always had the sky blue UN logo bumper sticker on their car too, so that’s not surprising to see.

[niteowl]

I would hope they’re reducing it by more than one-tenth (the ACTUAL meaning of “decimate”).