Growth In Federal Government & Spending

Previous Cogport posts covered the extent of Federal Spending and Budget Deficit.

The National Debt is no longer a “looming” crisis.  It is a current crisis with Politicians not having a grasp on the situation.

The new Trump Administration seems poised to take actions to improve efficiency in Government and reduce spending.

Cogport proposes that meaningful Efficiency needs to come from a Top-Down Overhaul of the Federal Organization.

Let’s look at the growth in Top Level Departments that Report to the President:

George Washington:           5        Four Cabinets plus Postmaster General.

Abraham Lincoln                 7        All Cabinet Level.

Franklin D. Roosevelt      12      Ten Cabinets plus Chief of Staff and War Production.

Ronald Reagan                 16      Thirteen Cabinet plus Chief of Staff, NSA, & OMB

Joe Biden                              24      Fifteen Cabinet plus Nine Treated as Cabinet Level:

White House Chief of Staff

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

Director of National Intelligence

U.S. Trade Representative

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers

Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

Administrator of the Small Business Administration

This is a clear demonstration of Federal Growth gone wild.

The Span of Control at the Presidential management level is not viable.

Trump, and the new Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk, need to consider these structural issues.  They can reduce spending with bureaucracy reductions and use of new AI technology.  But they will not make a goal of $ 2 Trillion reduction by piecemeal changes.

SUMMARY

The Federal Government should be realigned with the Principles that the Founding Fathers embedded in the Constitution – a limited government for the States and the People.

Adherence to these Principles will necessitate the rollback of many Federal Programs which should be governed by the States according to their local needs and resources.  A new Federal Organization should have many fewer Departments and Agencies with a coherent management structure.

A turn away from the wrong direction in our Country will take basic, fundamental changes.

We, The People Of The United States, have allowed this to happen.  We can demand change.

David Hollaender                                                                        November 26, 2024

Cogport.com