Throughout this week, the Washington Examiner’s Restoring America project will feature its latest series titled “Reforming the Deep State: Reining in the Federal Bureaucracy.” We invited some of the best policy minds in the conservative movement to speak to the issues of what waste, fraud, abuse, and unaccountability exist throughout the federal government and what still needs to be done. To learn more about the series, click here.

In the United States there is no “Deep State” in the sense that the term was originally used. The concept of a deep state came from secret authoritarian networks that operated inside the Turkish government during the 1990’s. The deep state networks involved the military, the intelligence services, the police and organized crime.

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Instead, in the U.S. there is a quasi deep state made up of powerful special interest groups that exercise excess influence over the bureaucracy of the federal government. These groups operate in plain view. Such special interest organizations damage the nation, especially regarding national security. They also create economic and social friction at home which reduces both economic growth and trust in government. 

Perhaps the most obvious and damaging example of the quasi-deep state was the intelligence failure regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The intelligence services told then-President George W. Bush what he wanted to hear. The intelligence bureaucracy failed the nation. More recently, in 2016, then Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey, repeatedly interfered in the presidential election and caused many Americans to distrust the electoral process and the federal government more generally. Then CIA Director John Brennan did much the same. The nation continues to pay the price for these clear derelictions of duty. 

Across government, then, the federal bureaucracy must be reformed in order to enhance national security and to provide greater transparency and certainty on administrative matters regarding domestic policy, including economic activity. Transparency and certainty will contribute to stronger economic growth. When the nation’s economy is strong, more resources are available for national defense. 

In several recent decisions, the Supreme Court has stated that the President has broad powers and discretion over the administrative state. The President executes laws passed by Congress and has authority over the agencies that implement legislation. The federal bureaucracy must obey the directives and policies of the elected President. The bureaucracy owes its complete allegiance to the Constitution and to the President. The bureaucracy, domestic and international, including the Department of State, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Defense, as well as other agencies, must serve the nation, not private interests. A reformed bureaucracy would reduce regulatory capture and corporate cronyism.

The Artificial Intelligence Revolution will enable the administration of President Donald Trump to dramatically reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. The private sector is already embedding AI and consequently reducing layers of middle management. Trump can use AI to reduce the workforce and ensure that the remaining members of the bureaucracy, including State, the CIA, and Defense, are loyal to and carry out the policies of the President and his successors.

Reform of the federal bureaucracy should be modeled on the systems that the nation state of Singapore uses to manage its bureaucrats who are acknowledged across the globe to be the most effective, efficient and honest. Civil servants in Singapore are selected on the basis of merit, not vague concepts regarding diversity or equality. U.S. civil servants must be among the best and brightest. 

In Singapore, the civil service is well paid and accorded high social prestige. It should be the same for American bureaucrats. The country’s civil servants should be compensated according to their responsibilities. The federal government should model compensation paid by the private sector. This would inevitably mean substantial compensation increases for senior government executives. But monies would be available without asking Congress for additional appropriations. Embedding AI will not only reduce headcount, it will save money. AI will enable the administrative state to be more effective with fewer people.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE ‘REFORMING THE DEEP STATE’ SERIES

As for social prestige, as time passes and the people of America see the improvements in government operations, it will be natural for Americans to have a greater appreciation for their bureaucrats. The U.S. should strive for a national culture where men and women who are career bureaucrats adhere to the words duty, honor, and country. 

The nation’s bureaucrats must understand that the Constitution and the policies of the elected president guide all of their actions.

James Rogan is a former U.S. foreign service officer who has worked in finance and law for 30 years. He writes a daily note on the markets, politics, and society. He can be followed on X and reached at [email protected].