We are about to embark on a historic effort to reform the government to bend it to the will of a president. This isn’t the first effort at reform, but this may be the first time its purpose is to enhance presidential power at the expense of career professionals.

The president-elect has vowed to revive “Schedule F,” an executive order that will enable him to eliminate tens of thousands of career civil servants and replace them with loyal political appointees. His motive is decidedly not to improve the functions of government.

Government agencies are in constant need of renewal and reform. The German philosopher Max Weber advocated for functioning societal institutions, but he warned of the dangers of bureaucracies becoming “Iron Cages,” stultified and incapable of efficiently delivering services.

The

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