As another year comes to a close, it’s time to share some highlights from my blog/newsletter. Thanks to everyone who subscribes, and especially paid subscribers, which are never expected but always welcome. Reminder: this December, I will match any new paid subscriptions to Can We Still Govern? with an equivalent gift to Give Directly, so consider subscribing!
In this piece (lets call it Volume I), I’m sharing the five most-read pieces from last year in reverse order. A central theme of this year’s most popular articles was the assault on state capacity that came with Trump’s return to office. The fifth-most read piece came from an NIH insider who explained how budget rules were being weaponized to undermine the agency. It is a reminder about how the administrative details really matter.
The NIH budget is on a fast track to disaster
Note from Don: This essay comes from an employee at the National Institutes of Health. Given the current pattern of retribution against critics of the Trump administration, I have respected their wish to remain anonymous. This feels like a critical time to share the voices of those who know these agencies well and are willing to be honest with the publi…
The fourth most-read piece combined a commentary that Pam Herd and I wrote in Science about the politicization of scientific agencies, as well as a call for people to make a public comment about the politicization of the government more generally. More than 40,000 submitted comments, overwhelmingly opposed to the change. People are looking for meaningful ways to register that they do not like what is happening to their government.
Here is a specific thing you can do to fight Trump's politicization of public services
Trump’s maximalist strategy of firing off one executive action after another seeks to overwhelm us. Finding some tangible way to respond sometimes feels impossible. So, here is something that you can do:
Back in March I wrote about the encroaching sense of threat against speech disfavored by the President: “The right to say what we want, to choose our topics of study, is essentially American. But we don’t live in America any longer. The truth is, we live in a foreign country now.” Things have only gotten worse since then.
Real chilling effects
Normally I record the classes I teach. It gives students who miss class a chance to catch up. I also make space in my classes to talk about what is happening in government right now. A couple of weeks ago, students asked we keep the discussions, but stop recording the class. They worried about any record of their words that might be viewed as criticism …
People really hate Elon Musk. And so people were pretty excited when he overestimated his political skills to pour millions into a Wisconsin election, including a potentially illegal lottery scheme to incentivize voters, only to lose very badly. The election, which took place at the start of April, was an early and important benchmark that Musk, DOGE, and the Trump administration more broadly had reached the end of whatever honeymoon period they enjoyed.
The Biggest Loser in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is the most important election since Trump took office. Wisconsin is a purple state, and Court races there have been both close and crucial. The last one, when liberals retook the majority, ended the practice of gerrymandering in the state.
The most read piece of last year asked a hard question — can we consider American to be a functioning democracy — and offers a hard answer: no. Trump is following a standard pattern of other authoritarians: control the bureaucracy, military, internal security, legal system, civil society, higher education and election administration. Two points. First, Trump has moved more quickly through the checklist than authoritarians in other countries. Second, because states run elections, he has made the least progress with controlling how we vote, but that also means its his next target.
I initially pitched this piece to a traditional legacy outlet, and they passed on it. This is one reason I am glad this blog exists. Even if I miss the occasional typo, there is incredible value to be able to communicate, unfiltered, to readers who care about the state of our government and democracy.
The authoritarian checklist
There is so much happening that occasionally pausing to take stock is necessary. So where are we? In deep trouble. America may not be fully authoritarian, but by no means can we consider it to be a functioning democracy.
Writing it is not my day job, which is co-directing a research lab about how to improve government and teaching the next generation of public servants. But it is an important moment for someone who studies public administration to explain what is going on, which increasingly feels like charting uncharted and shark-infested waters.
Watch out for volume II of my 2025 highlights tomorrow, which will feature personal favorites. If you want to look back to previous years, here you go:
Thank for this amazing article. We need to rid ourselves of authoritarianism’s tyranny, especially in our country. Happy New Year.