President Donald Trump came into office vowing to disrupt the “deep state” and to “drain the swamp” of the federal bureaucracy. This panel will examine how the capacity and professionalism of the federal government has fared over the past four years, assessing the extent to which it has been weakened or deployed for political purposes.

After a look at specific agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service, Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services, we will discuss developments in historical perspective—and consider what it will take to safeguard essential federal services. 

Moderator: Suzanne Mettler, John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions, Department of Government, Cornell University

Panelists:

Daniel Carpenter, Allie S. Freed Professor of Government, Harvard University

Jamila Michener, Associate Professor, Department of Government, Cornell University

Donald Moynihan, McCourt Chair, McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University; Visiting Professor, University of Oxford and Aarhus University

Democracy 20/20: A webinar series sponsored by the American Democracy Collaborative, Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, and the Institute of Politics and Global Affairs

Democracy 20/20 brings together historical and comparative experts to promote deeper understanding of the challenges these unsettling times pose for American democracy. Beginning in June 2020, the series continues through the 2020 election. The stakes for American democracy have never been higher—so please join us for these critical conversations.