Toe the line or walk the plank? Principled bureaucracy under Trump 2.0

David Oliver Kasdan; William M. Bowen

doi:10.1080/10841806.2025.2475576

Toe the line or walk the plank? Principled bureaucracy under Trump 2.0

David Oliver Kasdan
, William M. Bowen

Graduate School of Governance

Cleveland State University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The start of President Trump’s second term has been a whirlwind of change for the federal bureaucracy. Controversial agency appointments, obscure departmental reshuffling, and wholesale reductions in force are prompting existential responses by public administrators. Trump and his cabinet have implicitly and explicitly asked government workers to either toe the line or walk the plank. This essay focuses on how the appointment of a loyalist to lead the Department of Justice may affect the capacity and tenor of governance for the foreseeable future. Core concepts and literature for public administrators in disruptive contexts are offered to provide guidance for protecting the due processes of governance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	161-167
Number of pages	7
Journal	Administrative Theory and Praxis
Volume	47
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/10841806.2025.2475576
State	Published - 2025

Keywords

Administrative angst
Chevron deference
lawfare

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AB - The start of President Trump’s second term has been a whirlwind of change for the federal bureaucracy. Controversial agency appointments, obscure departmental reshuffling, and wholesale reductions in force are prompting existential responses by public administrators. Trump and his cabinet have implicitly and explicitly asked government workers to either toe the line or walk the plank. This essay focuses on how the appointment of a loyalist to lead the Department of Justice may affect the capacity and tenor of governance for the foreseeable future. Core concepts and literature for public administrators in disruptive contexts are offered to provide guidance for protecting the due processes of governance.

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KW - Chevron deference

KW - lawfare

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ER -

Toe the line or walk the plank? Principled bureaucracy under Trump 2.0

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Keywords

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