The article draws parallels between the bureaucratic failures of the late Gilded Age and today’s governmental inefficiencies. In 1887, Congress faced a dysfunctional bureaucracy, similar to current issues exacerbated by inadequate adaptation to the digital age. The proposed reform, represented by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), echoes historical efforts such as the Cockrell Committee's investigations. These past inquiries revealed hidden inefficiencies within government operations, suggesting that present lawmakers could benefit from adopting similar investigative approaches to uncover and address contemporary bureaucratic challenges.
Just as the late Gilded Age bureaucracy was failing to adapt to the industrial age, today’s bureaucracy is proving itself inadequate for the digital age.
Lawmakers who support DOGE should draw lessons from the 1880s, when congressional investigations helped drive reform by uncovering bureaucratic failure.
Complaints from constituents indicated that delays and mistakes were more serious than agencies admitted, but nobody knew the depth or causes of the bureaucracy's problems.
The Cockrell Committee’s approach to see bureaucracy's problems firsthand serves as a historical precedent for contemporary reform efforts.
#bureaucracy-reform #government-inefficiency #historical-parallels #digital-age #congressional-investigations
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