GovExec Daily: How the President’s ‘Deep State’ Rhetoric Affects Feds

The idea of a “Deep State” or a “Swamp” within the federal bureaucracy is not one that started with President Donald Trump’s entrance into politics, but he has brought it to the forefront of the conversation like no one before him. His characterization of government employees, while not specific, could have a lasting impact on the way citizens view the operations of the government and the two million civilian federal employees.

Dr. Donald Moynihan is McCourt Chair at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and the author of the paper “Populism and the Deep State: The Attack on Public Service Under Trump.” He joined the program to discuss his paper and the effect of this kind of rhetoric on the civil service.