The US Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge, is shaking up the country’s federal government through its disruption of many long-standing programmes. However, in public administration, rooting out waste and corruption requires a balanced approach that emphasises transparency and inclusion. If Doge, led by Elon Musk, eschews these principles in favour of forthright opacity, the damage to American society could take decades to repair.
Organisations throughout history have suffered from waste and corruption, intermittently spawning efforts at “cleaning house” by a new incoming principal. However, the key question that stakeholders should be asking themselves is: is this drive to improve efficiency an attempt elevate the organisation’s performance? Or is it a front for an attempt by the new boss to remove adversaries from the organisation regardless of their impact on efficiency?
The Soviet Union became the poster child for this latter, distorted approach, taking the form of sporadic purges.
At times, the accusations levelled against those purged were entirely fictitious, with the general public unable to access the data that would allow them to decide for themselves. At other times, some officials were indeed guilty of waste and corruption, but at no greater a rate than those on more favourable terms with the general secretary of the governing Communist Party.
As a result, their removal simply led to their replacement by equally corrupt or wasteful officials, making the entire exercise useless from an efficiency perspective. Rather than motivating functionaries to innovate in the pursuit of productivity, they were incentivised to cosy up to the political elite.
Bill Clinton and Al Gore showed that downsizing government doesn’t have to be this way
When Mr Musk took over Twitter – now X – he supposedly laid off about 80 per cent of the staff. This extreme brand of downsizing harked back to the crude method of studying brain function pioneered by the French physiologist Pierre Flourens, whereby he would surgically remove parts of the brain and then observe behaviour to determine the functions served by each part.
Mr Musk had the choice of actually asking people what they do – Flourens could not speak to parts of animal brains. However, he preferred the swiftness of the “keep firing people until something stops working” approach. Regardless, as the owner of the social media platform, from a legal standpoint, it was his organisation to control as he saw fit.
The same is not true of the US federal government, which is owned by all American citizens. While President Donald Trump announced his intention to establish Doge under Mr Musk’s leadership during his election campaign, voters ultimately voted for the incumbent for a wide range of reasons that were not necessarily related to the department. Moreover, even if it were a single-issue vote, Mr Musk did not provide a detailed plan up front that can be used to legitimise his actions.
Of particular concern is the extreme opacity of Doge’s processes: similar to a government intelligence service, where the only person that stakeholders even know works in the organisation is the head. Mr Musk intermittently posts on X highlighting a case of waste or corruption that he detected, but beyond what he chooses to share, Americans are completely in the dark.
As of the end of last week, Doge dismissed more than 9,500 workers who handled a range of functions from managing federal lands to caring for military veterans. An additional 75,000 workers – about 3 per cent of the government’s civilian workforce – have taken a buyout. There have been reports that the speed and breadth of these cuts have left White House staffers frustrated over a lack of co-ordination.
It is, of course, early days yet. But some critics have said Mr Musk’s modus operandi has the hallmarks of a Soviet-style purge, whereby programmes and personnel considered unimportant to the new president’s agenda are removed, regardless of whether they are associated with corruption or incompetence.
Former president Bill Clinton and his deputy, Al Gore, showed that it doesn’t have to be this way. In 1993, Mr Clinton launched the National Performance Review with the aim of boosting efficiency, cutting bureaucracy and empowering frontline workers. It yielded a 400,000-person reduction in the federal workforce, shrinking the government to its lowest level since the 1960s.
Critically, the processes adopted by Mr Gore when heading the review confirmed that this was a noble endeavour rather than a purge. They engaged all federal employees in a dignified manner, with the then vice president personally chairing town hall meetings and taking notes, making them feel like partners rather than intransigent sloths. Progress reports were regularly made available to the public, ensuring transparency. The people implementing the review were known and accessible to voters.
Moreover, the entire process was bipartisan due to the realisation that every element of government had waste. In fact, one of the exemplars that was used to inform policy was the state government of Texas, which was a staunchly Republican entity, despite the president and vice president being Democrats. Doge’s actions, on the other hand, have left congressional Democrats worried that the current administration is encroaching on the legislature’s constitutional authority over federal spending.
If the fears that Doge is just a ruthless purge are confirmed, it will fundamentally change incentives in federal government. Civil servants will fixate on a clientelist form of government where an incoming administration fills government entities with loyalists, causing severe damage to the quality of public policy.
The US lived through this during the 19th century, until industrialists and the general public formed a large coalition that eventually uprooted the clientelism. Repeating this cycle of corruption at a time when the US has a formidable geostrategic rival in the form of China would be self-defeating.
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
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POWERWASH%20SIMULATOR
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Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
RESULTS
1.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winners: Hyde Park, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
2.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
2.45pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Shadwell Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 (TB) Dh575,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Blown by Wind, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
3.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh72,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh64,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Obeyaan, Adrie de Vries, Mujeeb Rehman
4.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
Results
2pm: Serve U – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Violent Justice, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
2.30pm: Al Shafar Investment – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Desert Wisdom, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ahmed Al Shemaili
3pm: Commercial Bank of Dubai – Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Fawaareq, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
4pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Rakeez, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Al Redha Insurance Brokers – Handicap (TB) Dh78,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Capla Crusader, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
Company%20profile
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com