The Deep State, the Administrative State, and the State of Hysteria

One of the ways in which Der Furor was able twice to capture the presidency was by playing to  conservative anger over the so-called Deep State - a hypothetical unauthorized secret network of powerful individuals and agencies that operate independently of properly elected political leaders to pursue their own agendas and goals - a sort-of modern day Illuminati. 

The Deep State concept is related to another term, the Administrative State, which refers to the array of executive branch agencies at all levels which have the power and authority to write, interpret, and enforce their own regulations.

The Deep State is a mainstay of GOP politics, useful in explaining why their social and economic policies don't work by pinning blame on a shadowy cabal of rogue bureaucrats*, and of books and films eager to mine new sources of villainy for their heroes to fight. The Administrative State is also a focus of conservative anger, equally useful for explaining their policy failures, but without the added bonus of baked-in evildoers seeking world domination. 

The Administrative State is a result of the expansion of government and the complexity of the world over the years. As the federal government grew in size and complexity, ever-larger bureaucracies staffed with subject matter specialists were needed to carry out the responsibilities assigned by Congress ... including the authority (as we noted above) to write, interpret, and enforce their own regulations within the parameters authorized in legislation.

For conservatives who are by nature disdainful of regulations imposed by tyrannical governments™ they do not control, the Administrative State is an anathema to be opposed at all costs. Regulations imposed by government agencies, they argue, are infringements on personal freedoms and are invalid unless specifically approved by Congress as the directly-elected representatives of the people - not by faceless bureaucrats™ answerable to no one.

When last I checked, there were 535 elected members of Congress (435 Representatives and 100 Senators), who have in recent years been unable to do as fundamental a constitutionally-mandated function as publish a budget ... indeed, they have been unable to do little more than adjourn to prevent having to vote on releasing the dreaded Epstein Files™, propose renaming the Kennedy Center Opera House after Melania Trump, pass gigantic pieces of legislation that they regret and immediately begin un-legislating, and steadfastly resist anything proposed by the opposition party ...

The Deep State doesn't exist except in the fever dreams of conspiracy believers. The Administrative State does. And as the Republican party races to dismantle it, eliminating the experts and specialists who have kept us safe, healthy, and protected from abuse of the law, we won't be long in regretting its loss.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* Who are also satanist Democrats, pedophiles, and baby eaters.