Posted on 09/04/2020 6:30:27 AM PDT by Kaslin
By now it is abundantly clear that President Trump faces furious opposition not just from the Democrats, the establishment Republicans, and the mainstream media, but from a shadowy, determined cabal of unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats who are deeply embedded in the government: the “deep state.” Paradoxically, the ability of such a cabal to grow and operate freely can be traced back in American history to well-meaning efforts to end government corruption -- as well as to the evil act of one deranged assassin.
As Rating America’s Presidents: An America-First Look at Who Is Best, Who Is Overrated, and Who Was An Absolute Disaster explains, today’s deep state is a result of efforts to reform what was known as the “spoils system.” In 1828, Andrew Jackson was elected president on promises to end the hegemony of a privileged aristocracy, and to drain that swamp, he would need his own men in key positions. He removed a large number of civil service employees and replaced them with men of his own faction, which came to be known as the Democracy, or Democratic Party. This came to be known as the spoils system, after the old adage “To the victor belong the spoils.” This practice led to numerous incompetent people being placed in positions of responsibility; after the Civil War, a movement grew to remedy that problem by making civil service jobs based on merit rather than party affiliation.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Over the last 10-15 years, I have seriously reconsidered whether ending the Spoils System was a good idea. When you consider the leaks, unprofessional behavior, and downright insubordination of large numbers of Federal employees, it’s no wonder the Spoils System was common sense to the early nation. One final point: The Founders probably never imagined a Federal Leviathan like what we have today. I wonder sometimes if a return to a Spoils System would allow a reformer like Trump to purge unnecessary fat from the Federal bureaucracy.
There is nothing but political bias in long entrenched federal bureaucrats.
They are human beings after all, able to develop their own world view, a part of which includes their ability to hold onto a federal job nearly for life without recourse from the elected officials, as well as which party is going to keep funding their positions. It was inevitable that the bias of the deep state would be towards the big government party. It’s part political and part self-interest.
I accept that merit out to be the standard for many federal jobs, but not for any federal job that has ANY management responsibility. Why? I believe when we elect a new administration we should expect and get a new administration, not a puppet who must call the same tune as the entrenched bureaucracy.
Recent “whistle blowers” are no more than politically disgruntled bureaucrats opposed the new elected government.
Ending the spoils system was a very good idea. Andrew Jackson put us on the path toward bigger government in his era and for that reason was not a good president.
The problem is that the end of the spoils system led to the creation of a bureaucracy of its own: the Civil Service Commission.
What the Founders set up is what we should have re-implemented, which was based on experience and talent. Instead of going with the already tried and true, the new way forward was a nebulous “qualifications”, or expertise.
This is a good rundown: (the first several paragraphs)
bkmk
The Federal Beaurocracy has awesome power, that can be abused. We all see that. It’s tempting to give POTUS authority to replace people who won’t implement his agenda with more “like-minded” individuals.
This is an even bigger danger IMO.
I might trust Trump with this power, but probably not the next POTUS. How about being able to hand-pick every member of the FBI, CIA, IRS? Who would you trust with that ability?
A spoils system would create a hyper-partisan bureaucracy in the run-up to every election. That would be much much worse !
Steps: Things that can be done immediately !
1. Issue an EO rescinding JFK’s EO allowing federal unions.
2. Actually enforce the Hatch Act. Republican administrations pretend to, Rat administrations pretend it doesn’t exist.
3. Reduce the scope and responsibility (If not disband it completely!) of the Federal Election Commission. Elections are a state responsibility. Remove the charity-like tax status of political organization or causes. If it raises money it pays taxes on it. That takes away the federal ability to reward or punish organizations because of their political creeds. Or push the decision making down to the states. If the state says this political organization meets it tax-free requirements the IRS can’t argue otherwise it must accept it.
I’ve toyed with this idea. Unfortunately it would likely require a Constitutional Amendment. You come to work for FedGov, you give up the right to vote in federal election. You can vote in state & local but not FedGov. Also it might require state & local elections to occur on different days. Federal elections would be defined as President, Senate & Congress. (Note I would repeal the 17th Amendment and put selecting senators back in the hands of the state legislators.)
Also move as much of the bureaucracy that can be moved into the interior of the country. With today’s communication\transportation technology it doesn’t need to be concentrated in one spot.
Raise not lower the ages that you can start participating in politics. Aspiring politicians need to go out and experience life first. Actually show you can be successful at something other then saying the right things, kissing babies & shaking hands. Show you learned something from having “Skin-In-The-Game”.
There’s no doubt that the Spoils System has it problems. There is a tradeoff either way.
I do take issue though with the argument that Jackson was a “Big Government” politician. Relatively speaking he’s innovations increased government no where near what many of his predecessors did. If expanding government makes one a “bad president”, then Lincoln, Roosevelt, and everyone from LBJ onward are bad presidents.
I did not mean to say predecessors. I should have said successors.
Something like 90%+ of all federal employees in DC and Northern Virginia voted against Trump in 2016. That’s not hyper-partisan already?
Interesting perspective.
All systems - spoils or civil service - are highways of abuse.
That’s why I always advocate cutting all taxes, and reducing all government - at every level.
If the bureaucrats have less power and less money, they can do less harm.
All I’m saying is that what the Founders gave us, that was the best system we ever had. For that reason, repealing the spoils system was a very good idea.
You bring up good points. But as long as elections occur, those who abuse such power are prone to be replaced by an administration who can also purge the executive branch. An abuse of power carries the consequences of prosecution be the next administration, and so on and so on.
Hyper-partisan:
1. Is what Lois Lerner did,
2. What the federal unions do,
3. There are other incidents I can name.
Take away the ability to “regulate” partisan elections you take away the ability to interfere in a biased manner.
And the Virginia & Maryland GOP normally run utterly uninspiring candidates.
Move the bureaucracies & that percentage will change.
The so called spoils system is a President appointing people who he can count on to advance his agenda. Instead we get a Prussian bureaucracy who sets policy, answers to nobody, and sees an elected president as a minor and temporary nuisance.
So in your world, the FBI is not in the executive branch? The CIA should not answer to the president, but should lurch forward in the direction they feel is best without a pesky president bothering them? No thanks
The real problem,,,,,,,,,,
https://aim4truth.org/2018/01/03/deep-state-shadow-government-revealed-senior-executive-service/
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