Civil Service

“To what degree do you trust them?” asks the Ford School's Don Moynihan of the some 54,000 to 104,000 Trump loyalists expected to assume public service positions after Trump's wave of mass federal firings. “That is quite a different proposition than...

"There’s a fundamental realignment of power here," said Don Moynihan, a public policy professor at the Ford School, commenting on the mass federal firings carried out by the Trump administration. “This administration is saying we have much more...

After the Trump administration's recent push for mass firings of civil servant employees, networks are questioning how this may impact the labor market. The Ford School's Betsey Stevenson sat down with CNBC to discuss why these layoffs of federal...

The Washington Post reviewed the Trump administration's recent acts to cut civil servant employees and terminate federal agency operations. Donald Moynihan, a professor at the Ford School, said “such a power would be too great in the hands of any...

As President Trump sweeps the civil service workforce across federal agencies, there are some roadblocks he's set to encounter. Some laws existing to protect federal employees challenge the efforts of the administration. “Many of these systems have...

Speaking with The Cipher Brief, the Ford School's Javed Ali stated national security agencies are witnessing and "unprecedented moment" due to federal job cuts in civil service. Ali noted, "I can't remember a time when the bureau was under this much...

“If this isn't a constitutional crisis, I'm not sure what is,” said Donald Moynihan, public policy professor at the University of Michigan. This comment follows recent actions taken by the new DOGE leader, Elon Musk, of infiltrating various...

The Ford School's Don Moynihan spoke with Reuters on the spread of power DOGE is inflicting across other federal agencies. The network quoted Moynihan stating that Americans are witnessing "an extraordinary centralization of power in someone [Elon...

The Ford School's Javed Ali raises concerns about a shrinking FBI agency as the Trump Administration promotes job cuts within federal agencies. Commenting on the recent extermination of many senior officers at the FBI, Ali told KQED, "I think the...

Don Moynihan, Ford School professor, described how the current administration is changing rules on Schedule F employees, "officials who played PR or advocacy roles at the request of the prior administration," who are now subject to possible "adverse...

As Donald Trump prepares to take office, news outlets are turning to the Ford School's Don Moynihan about what's on the horizon for civil servant jobs, and the validity of Elon Musk's claims to cut government spending by 2 trillion. “How the civil...

Donald Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan who has studied Schedule F, said Trump’s move may go beyond the scope of the law governing the civil service and rests on a novel reading of its powers.“I don’t believe the...

The Ford School’s Donald Moynihan has been quoted by many networks for an outlook on the upcoming Trump administration. Moynihan focuses on how the election outcome will likely impact many civil servants and warns of a transition to politically...

Choosing your favorite class to teach is a little like choosing your favorite kid. But near the top is an elective I offer most years, “Government Regulation of Industry and the Environment.” It’s a class where we aim to develop the tools and...

The government has a clear role in promoting and assuring the goals of public health—the prevention of illness and injury, prolonging life, and promoting the collective health of the entire population. Achieving these goals cannot be left to the...

I long had the career goal of working for the U.S. government in the mysterious world of intelligence, with a particular focus on counterterrorism. This goal developed early in my life, shaped by experiences during overseas travel, the sense of...

Ford School students take on a variety of different roles after graduation—some do research, some will engage in advocacy, others will become civil servants. As instructors of two of the core research methods courses that our students take, we have...

NOAA provides authoritative data, tools, products, and services to build a more weather-ready and climate-ready nation. My job is to understand the policy, political, environmental, and social landscape across the U.S. and try to take a holistic...

In October 2023, Anne Coglianese launched Jacksonville’s first ever resilience strategy, which outlines 45 actions and 90 subactions to implement over the next 50...

David de Voursney implements the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Program (CCBHC) to increase the accessibility of comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder services across the United States. Since 2017, he’s worked with...

Within the last 5 years, $1 billion has been invested in affordable housing in the City of Detroit to create and preserve 12,000 housing units. Julie Schneider facilitated the planning process and is now overseeing its...

As a teenager, I couldn’t help but notice the challenges my community faced— poverty, lower educational attainment, high crime and violence, and environmental injustices. It made me wonder: why is my community the way it is? And why is it...

Justin Marsico and his team created “Your Guide to America’s Finances,” an easy-to-understand explainer on the federal government’s revenue, spending, deficit, and debt. He also oversees USAspending.gov, a website that includes information about...

John English on COVID funding: Especially during the CARES Act rollout, there was an urgency to distribute funding very quickly. I was part of the effort to understand the complex formula for allocation, and to collaborate with ED attorneys, budget...

Holly Donnelly on harnessing the power of big data: I often joke about my work being taxing but that it keeps my interest (haha!). Specifically, I think about how we can harness the power of big data to collect taxes more efficiently....

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy is delighted to announce that Andrew (Drew) Mann has joined us as a U.S. Department of State Diplomat in Residence.Diplomats in Residence are career Foreign Service officers and specialists who provide...

This spring, two Ford School students traveled to Jamaica's Blue Mountains. Their goal: to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a free clinic run by the Blue Mountain Project. The Blue Mountain summit is the highest in Jamaica: the mossy...