DOGE Revisited: The State of Public Institutions and the Civil Service

Every administration arrives with an ambitious agenda, but few matched DOGE’s aims: cutting $2 trillion in spending, reducing federal salaries by 75%, and consolidating hundreds of agencies. Although these goals were not realized, DOGE’s impact has been profound.

This session examines the current state of the federal workforce and public institutions in its aftermath. The unprecedented departure of over 400,000 civil servants has depleted critical expertise, while remaining staff face low morale, restricted budgets and staffing, and a climate that discourages initiative and problem-solving. Institutional capacity to deliver core functions has weakened, as has the government’s ability to address complex challenges and respond to inevitable crises.

In this interactive session, we will explore the impact of these reductions, whether the outcomes were avoidable, why DOGE fell short, and what it will take to build institutional/state capacity. 

David A. Lebryk is a Hauser Leader at the Center for Public Leadership and a former senior Treasury official with over 35 years of service. He served as Acting Secretary of the Treasury before stepping down following efforts by DOGE to access Treasury ‘s payment system.

Lunch will be served.