Below are six theoretical models for understanding DOGE’s action to date, each with supporting evidence.
1. DOGE is seeking to purge progressive influence within the federal government.
2. DOGE is a scaled-up public version of Musk’s style of corporate restructuring applied to the federal government.
3. DOGE is the first step of a public relations campaign to build popular support for spending cuts.
4. DOGE is an essential component of a Trump administration legal challenge to expand the president’s power of impoundment.
5. DOGE provides political cover for Congress to be even more fiscally irresponsible.
6. DOGE is about self-interest and cronyism.
Social science models simplify reality, spotlighting key variables that may shape DOGE’s actions in a way that can be tested. The models discussed above clearly simplify the complex endeavor of reforming the largest human organization ever by expenditures—the US federal government.
Lambert here: Data exfiltration, presumably to feed AI training sets, is not mentioned.
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