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From left to right, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, and Donald Trump on the 2016 campaign trail. (Photo: Reuters)
Trump's Business of Government
The White House has announced that Trump will name his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to run a new Office of American Innovation - described as a SWAT team of strategic consultants staffed by former business executives, designed to infuse fresh thinking into Washington and help make government work more like a business.
It's good to have fresh thinking about how government might function more efficiently. But it's important to remember that government is not a business. The purpose of government is not to show a profit. It is to achieve the common good.
Mar 28, 2017
The White House has announced that Trump will name his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to run a new Office of American Innovation - described as a SWAT team of strategic consultants staffed by former business executives, designed to infuse fresh thinking into Washington and help make government work more like a business.
It's good to have fresh thinking about how government might function more efficiently. But it's important to remember that government is not a business. The purpose of government is not to show a profit. It is to achieve the common good.
Precisely because there are many different views about the common good, government leaders must be capable of listening and responding to many different opinions and perspectives.
They must also be public educators - telling the public the truth, explaining the consequences of different options, and conducting public deliberation about what is best for society.
Above all, presidents should enrich and strengthen democracy - building trust in democratic institutions, avoiding conflicts of interests, and promoting tolerance and social cohesion.
So far, Donald Trump has done the opposite. He doesn't need more business advice. He needs more advice about how to lead a democracy.
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Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Robert Reich
Robert Reich, is the Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and a senior fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies. He served as secretary of labor in the Clinton administration, for which Time magazine named him one of the 10 most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century. His book include: "Aftershock" (2011), "The Work of Nations" (1992), "Beyond Outrage" (2012) and, "Saving Capitalism" (2016). He is also a founding editor of The American Prospect magazine, former chairman of Common Cause, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and co-creator of the award-winning documentary, "Inequality For All." Reich's newest book is "The Common Good" (2019). He's co-creator of the Netflix original documentary "Saving Capitalism," which is streaming now.
The White House has announced that Trump will name his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to run a new Office of American Innovation - described as a SWAT team of strategic consultants staffed by former business executives, designed to infuse fresh thinking into Washington and help make government work more like a business.
It's good to have fresh thinking about how government might function more efficiently. But it's important to remember that government is not a business. The purpose of government is not to show a profit. It is to achieve the common good.
Precisely because there are many different views about the common good, government leaders must be capable of listening and responding to many different opinions and perspectives.
They must also be public educators - telling the public the truth, explaining the consequences of different options, and conducting public deliberation about what is best for society.
Above all, presidents should enrich and strengthen democracy - building trust in democratic institutions, avoiding conflicts of interests, and promoting tolerance and social cohesion.
So far, Donald Trump has done the opposite. He doesn't need more business advice. He needs more advice about how to lead a democracy.
Robert Reich
Robert Reich, is the Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and a senior fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies. He served as secretary of labor in the Clinton administration, for which Time magazine named him one of the 10 most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century. His book include: "Aftershock" (2011), "The Work of Nations" (1992), "Beyond Outrage" (2012) and, "Saving Capitalism" (2016). He is also a founding editor of The American Prospect magazine, former chairman of Common Cause, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and co-creator of the award-winning documentary, "Inequality For All." Reich's newest book is "The Common Good" (2019). He's co-creator of the Netflix original documentary "Saving Capitalism," which is streaming now.
The White House has announced that Trump will name his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to run a new Office of American Innovation - described as a SWAT team of strategic consultants staffed by former business executives, designed to infuse fresh thinking into Washington and help make government work more like a business.
It's good to have fresh thinking about how government might function more efficiently. But it's important to remember that government is not a business. The purpose of government is not to show a profit. It is to achieve the common good.
Precisely because there are many different views about the common good, government leaders must be capable of listening and responding to many different opinions and perspectives.
They must also be public educators - telling the public the truth, explaining the consequences of different options, and conducting public deliberation about what is best for society.
Above all, presidents should enrich and strengthen democracy - building trust in democratic institutions, avoiding conflicts of interests, and promoting tolerance and social cohesion.
So far, Donald Trump has done the opposite. He doesn't need more business advice. He needs more advice about how to lead a democracy.
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