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Delegitimization, Deconstruction and Control: Undermining the Administrative State

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  • Donald Moynihan

Abstract

Three phenomena that undermine the U.S. administrative state were taken to extremes under President Trump, contributing to democratic backsliding. The first is delegitimization: a suspicion of the public sector that has curdled into claims that public officials are deep state enemies of the people. This undermines belief in the capacity of government to deliver on democratic promises. Second is deconstruction, which includes undermining administrative capacity and delivery of services, making it harder for institutions to deliver on democratic promises, or to do so in ways that are transparent or generative of conditions in which the public sees government helping. The third is political control, in which loyalty to the political leaders is a primary virtue: this weakens structural protections of public employees and the capacities of government agencies to pursue their statutory mission or respond to other sources of democratic control such as Congress.

Suggested Citation

  • Donald Moynihan, 2022. "Delegitimization, Deconstruction and Control: Undermining the Administrative State," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 36-49, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:699:y:2022:i:1:p:36-49
    DOI: 10.1177/00027162211069723
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Suzanne Mettler & Trevor Brown, 2022. "The Growing Rural-Urban Political Divide and Democratic Vulnerability," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 130-142, January.
    2. Lawrence R. Jacobs & Judd Choate, 2022. "Democratic Capacity: Election Administration as Bulwark and Target," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 22-35, January.
    3. Cas Mudde, 2022. "The Far-Right Threat in the United States: A European Perspective," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 101-115, January.
    4. Jacob M. Grumbach & Jamila Michener, 2022. "American Federalism, Political Inequality, and Democratic Erosion," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 143-155, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gilad, Sharon & Sulitzeanu-Kenan, Raanan & Levi-Faur, David, 2024. "Partisan Alignment and the Propensity to Choose a Job in a Government Ministry," SocArXiv ufzcj, Center for Open Science.
    2. Lawrence R. Jacobs & Judd Choate, 2022. "Democratic Capacity: Election Administration as Bulwark and Target," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 699(1), pages 22-35, January.
    3. Mauricio I. Dussauge-Laguna, 2022. "The promises and perils of populism for democratic policymaking: the case of Mexico," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 55(4), pages 777-803, December.

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