Elon Musk is teaming up with Vivek Ramaswamy to reshape the federal bureaucracy.
According to Fox Business, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are set to lead a new initiative under President-elect Trump targeting significant cuts in government departments.
The move is heavily inspired by the economic theories of Milton Friedman, a staunch critic of government expansion. Elon Musk reinforced this association by citing Friedman's dire view on the necessity of several federal agencies. Milton Friedman had advocated for the elimination of numerous agencies, suggesting that only a few, including the Departments of Defense, Justice, State, and Treasury, were essential to the government's core functions.
Friedman explicitly mentioned the redundancy of the Departments of Agriculture, Education, and Energy, the latter only retaining its nuclear functions under the Department of Defense's oversight. He also proposed drastic reductions to the Department of Health and Human Services, maintaining only essential public health activities to prevent contagion.
Friedman's influence stretches to the Department of the Interior as well, which he believed should exist only until all government-owned land could be sold, excluding land necessary for federal buildings. He was equally critical of the Department of Veterans Affairs, suggesting that the department was unnecessary for disbursing veterans' salaries.
During an event, while dressed in a SpaceX jacket, Elon Musk offered insights into their planned reforms, "Milton Friedman was the best," indicating a strong alignment with Friedman's ideology. This initiative surfaces as part of broader discussions on improving government efficiency through significant departmental reductions.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are beginning to assemble a team for this new department, seeking applicants through the social platform X. The emphasis is on recruiting individuals who are committed to drastic reforms aligned with Friedman's economic philosophy.
In a detailed exposition of his stance, Milton Friedman previously remarked about the Department of Housing and Urban Development: it "had done an enormous amount of harm." Such statements underline the sweeping changes Musk and Ramaswamy aim to implement.
Friedman shared the theoretical and practical applications of these ideas, focusing on remaining governmental functions: "preserve the peace, defend the country, [and] provide a mechanism whereby individuals can adjudge their disputes."
The push to streamline the federal bureaucracy under this new department aligns with Friedman's views on minimalistic government functionality. During an America PAC town hall held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on October 26, Musk further developed these announcements and elaborated on their strategy for efficient government operation.
The partnership of high-profile figures such as Musk and Ramaswamy in such a critical government overhaul highlights an aggressive approach toward reducing government spending and bureaucracy.
The initiative has stirred a mix of support and criticism, reflecting a divide in opinions on the extent of government involvement in day-to-day life. In closing, the efforts by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy represent a clear shift towards applying private sector efficiency models to governmental operations, aiming for a leaner, more effective federal bureaucracy.
They position this restructuring as a crucial step toward aligning federal operations with contemporary economic perspectives on the role and scope of government in society.
