Part 5/8:
Elaine Kamarck, a veteran of government reform during the Clinton administration, contrasts Musk's bid for efficiency with a focus on making government functionally better. Kamarck’s observation is telling; she notes that while Musk’s approach cuts costs, it overlooks the quality and efficacy of governmental operations. The methodical governance practiced decades ago aimed to construct a functional bureaucracy for citizens, rather than solely trim down spending.
Musk’s cuts extend past personnel to agencies such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID), where critics argue essential services are being disrupted. A parallel can be drawn to similar actions taken at Twitter, where cuts in trust and safety teams eliminated critical consumer protections.