When we say ‘drain the swamp,’ should we mean government employees, or rules that make institutions serve themselves instead of the public? In this May 2024 essay, I argue that most public servants want to help, while institutional incentives can still pull agencies away from their purpose. Chevron deference becomes the central example in a debate about accountability.
Drawing on Locke, the Constitution, and Madison’s separation of powers, I make the case for Congress writing laws, the executive administering them, and courts interpreting them independently. The episode records the debate as it stood in May 2024. Its concern is public responsibility and restrained power, rather than blaming the people who work in government.
Read the essay and sources: https://joelkdouglas.com/2024/05/21/drain-the-swamp/
