When the first Civil Service Reform Act passed in 1883, “good government” reformers envisioned nonpartisan civil servants fairly administering the federal bureaucracy. From the vantage point of 2016, it is clear this dream has turned into a nightmare. Supposedly nonpartisan administrative agencies have often proven to be anything but. The executive branch increasingly treats agencies like the IRS and the DOJ not as impartial regulators, but as partisan weapons for intimidating political opponents.
Check out the video of yesterday's Claremont Institute panel, co-sponsored by the Federalist Society, in which John Eastman, Cleta Mitchell, Hans von Spakovsky, and Robert Weiner discuss the First Amendment, the power of the administrative state, and the very nature of our government. The panelists cover key questions: how can courageous nonprofits fight back against harassment? Will the Courts step in to protect citizens’ right to engage in political activism? How can we resist this kind of administrative tyranny?