Unconventional Cabinet Selections and the Dismantling of American Institutions

Unconventional Cabinet Picks: A New Era in American Politics

President-elect Donald Trumpā€™s selections for numerous top cabinet positions in his forthcoming administration are decidedly unconventional. In several instances, it is challenging to identify candidates with less relevant qualifications for their intended roles. For example, the appointment of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, Kash Patel as F.B.I. Director, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to oversee national health care policies raises significant concerns. Each of these individuals not only lacks essential experience but also displays a range of troubling biases that arguably should render them disqualified.

Moreover, Trumpā€™s choices for ambassadors and senior advisory rolesā€”often comprised of sycophants, cronies, and even relatives by marriageā€”represent a stark departure from a century of precedent in American political appointments.

However, the current situation in the United States is not entirely unprecedented. It mirrors a broader global trend: an ongoing assault on the modern state as we understand it. In various countries, including Hungary, Israel, and Britain, the civil service, judiciary, and law enforcement institutions have faced attacks from the very leaders elected to govern them.

The consequences of such attacks are well-documented. They not only enrich loyalists but also undermine independent sources of expertise and information, thereby eroding essential public services. This pattern is likely to replicate itself within the United States.

The systematic dismantling of modern state institutions often paves the way for a different political orderā€”one that is predicated on personal loyalties and connections to the ruling figure. The German sociologist Max Weber coined a term for this type of governance: patrimonialism. This model is characterized by the arbitrary rule of leaders who perceive themselves as the traditional ā€œfathersā€ of their nations, managing the state akin to a family business populated by relatives, friends, and other members of the rulerā€™s ā€œextended household.ā€

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