Opinion | I’m a former civil servant. We are professionals, not a ‘deep state.’

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Opinion: I’m a former civil servant. We are professionals, not a 'deep state.'

at a White House meeting as “an Obama holdover.” That’s technically true, insofar as I was an Obama/Bush/Clinton/Bush/Reagan/Carter holdover. But in a broader sense, it was utter nonsense.Yes, the federal bureaucracy can be frustrating, even stultifying. A workforce of more than 2 million people, although broadly competent and hard-working, inevitably has poor performers. Some undoubtedly have acted illegally.

The federal bureaucracy’s institutional responsibilities can put it at odds with political leadership. The intelligence community strives to get the facts straight and to provide objective analysis. Most often correct, but certainly not perfect, intelligence informs the national risk equation and attempts to keep the policy debate intellectually honest. This is particularly important in a world in which fiction routinely passes for fact.

Now, elections have consequences. While aspects of government operations run as though on autopilot, civil service technocrats will always operate under political direction, fulfilling statutory responsibilities within a wide range of legal policy choices. But I would respectfully offer a gentle observation to my political colleagues. Policymakers tend to hold their own opinions in high regard. This is sometimes warranted; sometimes not. They would often benefit from listening a little more.

This country has its hands full. As Americans grapple with the legacy of our historical demons, our failures to address the needs of large swaths of our population and the challenges of

 

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