Cutting Agencies Shouldn’t Mean Cutting Expertise

This week, a new survey from the Partnership for Public Service reveals a surprising truth: solid majorities who favor Trump-era agency cuts also strongly support keeping the federal workforce apolitical and expert-driven—83% see a nonpartisan civil service as vital to our country’s wellbeing.

This offers a powerful window into public sentiment:

• Since early 2025, the Trump administration—through the Department of Government Efficiency—has slashed tens of thousands of federal jobs across nearly every department

• Cuts persisted after the Supreme Court gave them clearance, despite legitimate concerns over the impact on services, expertise, and continuity

• Supporters of agency cuts aren’t clamoring for politicization; instead, they view cuts as a way to eliminate waste and save money—but not to erode institutional expertise.

• They draw a clear line: career civil servants can and should remain expert, nonpartisan, and insulated from political swings.

1. Clear public mandate: Americans won't tolerate government dismantling—but do demand a fair, effective, and knowledgeable civil service.

2. Policy precision over rhetoric: Cuts and reforms must be surgical—not sweeping—and rigorously justified with data and transparency.

3. Ground for cross-partisan reform: Shared belief in nonpartisanship creates rare political alignment that we can leverage to push durable institutional improvements.

• Promote data-driven accountability. Tack every proposed cut with transparent cost-benefit analysis to ensure genuine waste removal, not service degradation.

• Protect frontline expertise. Advocate for bipartisan protections of career-critical roles—especially in science, national security, public health, and financial oversight.

• Increase transparency in restructuring. Call for open public review before major workforce changes, and real-time reporting on the operational impact.

To all good government supporters—this is a moment to stand for smart reform, not ideological purging. Organizations like the American Values Alliance are shining a spotlight on parts of government that truly need streamline, while defending the impartial civil service that's essential to keeping things running—for everyone.

If you believe in thoughtful change over political gamesmanship, support Fix the System today.