The Good the Bad and the Ugly and some solutions for the first 100 Days
DOGE (The Good), Tariffs (The Bad), and Uncertainty (The Ugly) This post evaluates the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, focusing on three major themes: DOGE (the good), tariffs (the bad), and uncertainty (the ugly). Draining the swamp of waste and reforming bureaucratic red tape is long overdue. Broad, unfocused tariffs are harmful, especially when targeted tariffs or excise taxes would be a better alternative. And uncertainty—especially in markets and international trade—is always ugly. The Good: DOGE and Bureaucratic Reform Let’s start with the so-called “fourth branch” of government—the federal bureaucracy. According to the Constitution, only three branches of government exist. Yet, in practice, the bureaucracy operates as a powerful, unelected force shaping public policy. When I taught AP Government, I was struck by how much of the curriculum focused on departments created to execute legislation under presidential direction. It felt like a massive expansion of executive ...