There's an hour long Q and A with Benjamin Ginsberg conducted by Brian Lamb which is available for viewing at this c-span link. In it he discusses the findings of a survey he did involving government employees which is the topic of his book, What Washington Gets Wrong: The Unelected Officials Who Actually Run the Government and Their Misconceptions about the American People.
The take away from the interview is that while federal bureaucrats may be very educated, well paid, and knowledgeable in the subjects required for their jobs, they are woefully ignorant about the people they govern. In the words of Mr. Ginsberg, they think we are all a bunch of idiots. Most of them vote Democrat, too.
And yes, the bureaucrats do govern. He cites an example of an individual doing time in federal prison for whistling at a hump back whale. Seems there's a federal regulation against harassing whales, not a criminal law, a regulation promulgated by NOAA. The individual piloted a whale sighting tour, and when they spotted the whale, he whistled at it. Go straight to jail.
Meanwhile, we have Donald Trump attempting to drain the swamp. Some writers are already issuing warnings, e.g., WARNING: Trump’s EPA Secretary Will Have ‘16,000 Employees Working Against Him’. Good luck, President Trump.
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