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.
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Pots for the Asian Qualifiers
Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Correspondents
By Tim Murphy
(Grove Press)
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
HOW TO WATCH
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TikTok: @thenationalnews
Super heroes
Iron Man
Reduced risk of dementia
Alcohol consumption could be an issue
Hulk
Cardiac disease, stroke and dementia from high heart rate
Spider-Man
Agility reduces risk of falls
Increased risk of obesity and mental health issues
Black Panther
Vegetarian diet reduces obesity
Unknown risks of potion drinking
Black Widow
Childhood traumas increase risk of mental illnesses
Thor
He's a god
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
Fight card
- Aliu Bamidele Lasisi (Nigeria) beat Artid Vamrungauea (Thailand) POINTS
- Julaidah Abdulfatah (Saudi Arabia) beat Martin Kabrhel (Czech Rep) POINTS
- Kem Ljungquist (Denmark) beat Mourad Omar (Egypt) TKO
- Michael Lawal (UK) beat Tamas Kozma (Hungary) KO
- Zuhayr Al Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) beat Mohammed Mahmoud (UK) POINTS
- Darren Surtees (UK) beat Kane Baker (UK) KO
- Chris Eubank Jr (UK) beat JJ McDonagh (Ireland) TKO
- Callum Smith (UK) beat George Groves (UK) KO
Brief scores:
Scotland 371-5, 50 overs (C MacLeod 140 no, K Coetzer 58, G Munsey 55)
England 365 all out, 48.5 overs (J Bairstow 105, A Hales 52; M Watt 3-55)
Result: Scotland won by six runs
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
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'Jurassic%20World%20Dominion'
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