The Hard Reboot: How Trump 2.0 Is Reshaping the Federal Bureaucracy
As Washington shakes things up, local governments brace for impact — and opportunity
The Trump administration’s second term is not just a political shift — it’s a hard reboot of the federal bureaucracy. The guiding principle behind its shake-up? Brokenism.
Coined by Tablet editor-in-chief Alana Newhouse in a 2022 essay, brokenism divides people not by party but by mindset. Brokenists believe America’s institutions — government, media, public health — have failed and need radical change. Status-quoists argue that, while imperfect, these institutions still function and should be improved incrementally.
Writing in The Free Press, Oliver Wiseman notes Trump’s latest appointments — Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence and RFK Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services — showcase this philosophy in action. These figures weren’t chosen because of ideological purity but because they believe their respective agencies are dysfunctional. Their confirmation fights revealed that opposition didn’t fall along traditional partisan lines. Instead, it was moderates and establishment Republicans — Mitch McConnell chief among them — who resisted them most.
This brokenist movement isn’t just about tearing things down; the real fight is over what replaces the old order. In Wiseman’s piece, Yuval Levin offers a different framework: Are these leaders demolition crews or construction crews? Will the new administration destroy institutions beyond repair, or will it rebuild something better?
We’re only one month into Trump 2.0, so it’s too early to tell. That noted, what’s the current public sentiment? A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Thursday showed DOGE’s aim to slash the size of the federal government has support from 59 percent in the poll. Then again, 58 percent of respondents are worried that programs like student financial aid and Social Security payments could face delays.
My sense is that some of these programs will return, while others will never be missed. It’s a kind of zero-based budgeting where many agencies will have to make a strong case to have funding restored. To me, that’s OK. If your agency can’t justify its work and the tax dollars required to fund it, well, too bad so sad if it gets DOGE’d.
Callous? Perhaps. But here’s the first graphic I’ll be sharing in today’s TL;dr that quantifies the literal and metaphorical brokenness of the federal government.
That’s $36 trillion. This fiscal year alone, we’ll be adding another $1.8 trillion to the national debt. Something’s gotta give.
What does this mean for local government executives? Whether you’re cheering or cringing at the federal shake-up, local governments inevitably feel the ripple effects. If DOGE’s cuts mean fewer federal grants, increased mandates, or citizens suddenly waking up to the complexity of public services, local leaders will be on the frontlines managing both expectations and fallout. Understanding this brokenism mindset — and anticipating how it will shape public opinion — will be crucial for local governments in navigating the road ahead.
In the rest of today’s newsletter, we share sharp takes from the past week on the effort to tackle federal spending, followed by a couple of pieces that address our need to dramatically improve civic literacy. Plus, we’ve got details on the first GGF Office Hours!
The downside of DOGE
Writing in The Dispatch, Steve Hayes notes “auditing government waste, prosecuting fraud, and modernizing procurement are all necessary. But will any of this fix the deficit? No.” He continues:
DOGE will not balance the budget. There is no way to change the trajectory of our national debt—to say nothing of balancing the budget—without structural entitlement reform, something Trump has adamantly opposed throughout his political career …
Mandatory spending already overwhelms the federal budget—a great chart I’ve included below illustrates the point. Yet, many regular folks believe DOGE’s cuts will balance the budget. That’s a dangerous misconception, one that actually makes meaningful fiscal reform harder.
Here’s the chart.
Trump and Lead DOGE Elon Musk “are claiming they will balance the budget while simultaneously announcing that they won’t touch the programs most responsible for growing deficits,” Hayes writes. “It’s either innumerate or dishonest—but either way, pretending to address the growing crisis while steadfastly refusing to do so is dangerous.”
How much is that DOGE in the window (really) saving us?
The Wall Street Journal reports DOGE has been quick to highlight its savings, but the numbers aren’t adding up. The agency originally claimed $16 billion in canceled contracts, then revised that down to $7 billion, with real savings likely closer to $2.6 billion over the next year. In some cases, they even double-counted contracts. Transparency is good — but so is accuracy.
This chart provides a look on the contracts canceled so far.
The disconnects and sloppy reporting from DOGE cited above are creating a credibility crisis for the effort. That’s a challenge for those of us who want genuine reform.
From the ever-eloquent Peggy Noonan in her Wall Street Journal column last week:
All my adult life the answer to “let’s find waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government” has been, “Whatever you find will be a rounding error, it isn’t worth the pursuit, the money is in the entitlements and defense, all else is nonsense, don’t even try.” I never thought that true and never saw it only as a question of saving money but of assuring citizens that their government can be trusted. It is heartening to see DOGE attempt reform—exciting, actually.
Noonan acknowledges the importance of DOGE’s mission but warns of the risks: the administration’s ambitious promise to cut $2 trillion may have set an impossible benchmark, one that could drive reckless decision-making. The hard truth: It’s easier to break things than to build them. That’s why, even as we debate whether DOGE is bringing real reform or just chaos, another challenge looms — does the public even understand what’s at stake?
📢 Introducing GGF Office Hours: A New Way to Connect
Good government isn’t just about policies — it’s about problem-solving, leadership, and learning from each other. That’s why I’m launching a three-month pilot program called GGF Office Hours, a monthly Zoom meet-up where subscribers can connect, brainstorm, and get advice in an informal but productive space.
✅ Got a project, program, or personnel challenge you’re wrestling with?
✅ Want to hear more from the experts and ideas featured in Good Government Files?
✅ Just looking for a place to swap ideas and insights with like-minded professionals?
Join me for the first-ever GGF Office Hours:
📅 Friday, March 14
⏰ 10:30 AM (Central)
📍 Zoom (link will be sent to all subscribers)
For the first three months, this pilot is open to all subscribers. If it’s valuable, we’ll transition it to a paid subscriber benefit down the road.
No agenda, no presentations — just a chance to connect, chat, and swap ideas. Hope to see you there!
The Luxury of Ignorance — And Why It Matters Now
While DOGE’s cuts force a reckoning with government waste, they are also — perhaps unintentionally — forcing a broader civic education.
A must-read from Charles C. Mann in The New Atlantis reminds us how much we take for granted. Mann argues modern Americans, even those of modest means, live in comfort and security that historical elites like Thomas Jefferson couldn’t have imagined. Too many of us take for granted the vast, complex systems — food, water, energy, and public health — that sustain our lives.
Jefferson, despite his wealth, struggled with basic necessities like heating and clean water, challenges that are virtually nonexistent today. Unlike Jefferson, who had to personally solve infrastructure issues at Monticello, modern citizens benefit from systems built over generations. But these systems require ongoing maintenance, adaptation — and, crucially, an informed public that understands how they work.
Jefferson himself believed that an informed citizenry was essential to democracy. That belief extends beyond political awareness — it’s about understanding the unseen mechanisms that make society function.
And here’s the ironic twist: even as DOGE disrupts the system, it’s also exposing just how little the public knows about it.
As longtime journalist Joe Klein observes, DOGE’s actions are creating unexpected teachable moments.
Several Republican members of Congress report getting lumbered by constituents at their Presidents Week town meetings; suddenly there are Oh, government does Medicare! moments of clarity abroad in the land.
Whether you see DOGE’s efforts as a necessary reckoning or a reckless experiment, one thing is clear: America is getting a crash course in government reality.
Onward and Upward.