There are some reasonable criticisms of legislation by bureaucracy -- which is often done because elected lawmakers want to evade responsibility -- and of the power of executive agencies both to write and enforce rules and then, in effect, to adjudicate the interpretation of laws. The people who call this criticism itself an attack on "d…
There are some reasonable criticisms of legislation by bureaucracy -- which is often done because elected lawmakers want to evade responsibility -- and of the power of executive agencies both to write and enforce rules and then, in effect, to adjudicate the interpretation of laws. The people who call this criticism itself an attack on "democracy" are basically saying that democracy has little if anything to do with the people's voice in their own governance. They don't object to policymaking by people insulated from the voters as long as those people share their own perspective. And because the permanent bureaucracy leans left, Democrats tend to equate it with "democracy" itself.
The Trump cult totally corrupted the argument by aligning it with Trump's sociopathic understanding of right and wrong, his disregard for rules, and his envy of despots. Trump and his loyalists cultivated the belief that the government is supposed to be obedient to him personally and always serve his wishes and interests. And because Trump has no respect for law, the rule of law itself has been painted as sinister and antidemocratic.
When "democratic accountability" is equated with unconditional deference to a sociopath, it rather destroys the case against the "administrative state."
I mostly agree. But the villains are not the "unaccountable" bureaucrats who are just workers trying to do their jobs amidst the shitshow the politicians created.
The villains are the legislators who fail to do their jobs and hold them accountable.
There are some reasonable criticisms of legislation by bureaucracy -- which is often done because elected lawmakers want to evade responsibility -- and of the power of executive agencies both to write and enforce rules and then, in effect, to adjudicate the interpretation of laws. The people who call this criticism itself an attack on "democracy" are basically saying that democracy has little if anything to do with the people's voice in their own governance. They don't object to policymaking by people insulated from the voters as long as those people share their own perspective. And because the permanent bureaucracy leans left, Democrats tend to equate it with "democracy" itself.
The Trump cult totally corrupted the argument by aligning it with Trump's sociopathic understanding of right and wrong, his disregard for rules, and his envy of despots. Trump and his loyalists cultivated the belief that the government is supposed to be obedient to him personally and always serve his wishes and interests. And because Trump has no respect for law, the rule of law itself has been painted as sinister and antidemocratic.
When "democratic accountability" is equated with unconditional deference to a sociopath, it rather destroys the case against the "administrative state."
I mostly agree. But the villains are not the "unaccountable" bureaucrats who are just workers trying to do their jobs amidst the shitshow the politicians created.
The villains are the legislators who fail to do their jobs and hold them accountable.