Directing the Whirlwind: The Trump Presidency and the Deconstruction of the Administrative State(1 The American Presidency in the 21st Century)

Donald J. Trump ran on a platform that, among other things, promised to "drain the swamp" that is Washington, DC. Part of that draining would entail what his chief strategist, Steve Bannon, would call "the deconstruction of the administrative state." Set in the political environment of 2020, with a raging pandemic and nationwide protests, this work examines the philosophy that guides the Trump Administration’s approach and the mechanisms by which it seeks to accomplish the deconstruction. By combining journalistic accounts with presidential and public administration scholarship, the book raises questions about the impact of Trump’s approach on the future of public administration. As such, this work makes a strong contribution to public administration and presidential studies and casts a scholarly light on treatments of Trump’s contribution to governance and politics.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures – List of Table – Preface – Acknowledgements – Campaigning on a Platform of Administrative Deconstruction – Deregulating the Administrative State – Managing and Staffing in the Trump Administration – Anti-Administrativism Through the Courts – Delegitimizing the Administrative State – The Plan for Reorganizing and Reforming Government – Constitution and Crisis: Barriers to Presidential Control – The Future of Public Administration Post-Trump – Index.

About the Author :
Lisa K. Parshall is Professor of Political Science at Daemen College in Amherst, New York. She earned her Ph.D. at the SUNY-Buffalo in 2001 and is the author of Reforming the Presidential Nominating Process: Front-Loading’s Consequences and the National Primary Solution. Jim Twombly is Professor of Political Science at Elmira College in Elmira, New York. Earning his Ph.D. at Stony Brook University in 1992, he is the author of The Progression of the American Presidency and Political Scandal and Political Scandal and American Pop Culture: Sex, Power, and Cover-ups.

Review :
"'Drain the Swamp' was a familiar chant at Trump rallies in the latter stages of the 2016 presidential campaign and set the stage for Trump’s attempts to bend the executive branch to his will. Thoroughly grounded in the scholarly literature, Parshall and Twombly present a comprehensive study detailing Trump Administration attempts to implement the unitary theory of the executive and how these efforts exceeded those of other modern presidents. Altogether, a notable examination of President Trump as chief executive."—Harvey L. Schantz, Professor of Political Science, SUNY, Plattsburgh "Parshall and Twombly have provided us with a clear-eyed, careful analysis of what Donald Trump’s campaign promise to 'drain the swamp' has looked like in practice: an effort to deconstruct and delegitimize the administrative state. This impressive and thorough treatment of how the Trump administration has undercut the bureaucracy via executive powers, appointments, and rhetorical assaults is essential reading for all concerned with government effectiveness and rule of law, and importantly illuminates an often overlooked dimension of an otherwise highly scrutinized presidency."—Dr. Jennifer Hopper, Associate Professor of Political Science, Southern Connecticut State University "Until now, Donald Trump has confounded many scholars of the presidency. In contrast, Parshall and Twombly offer a clear analysis of the chaotic Trump administration. His goal is deconstructing the administrative state. In a thorough, cogent, and readable book, the authors make their case using evidence from Trump’s campaign rhetoric, deregulation efforts, executive orders, staffing decisions, judicial appointments, and his attacks against the deep state. In essence, Trump’s presidency has deeply impacted our federal bureaucracy."—Adam P. Stone, Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University "This book takes readers from Trump’s campaign rhetoric to his deconstructive approach to the people’s business. The authors illuminate Trump Administration attacks on public authority that go beyond politics of public administration and conservative efforts to roll back the state. Chapters detail the assault on administrative rulemaking, expansive executive orders, appointment of hostile agency officials, and overt ideological judicial selection. Trump’s 'anti-administration' approach threatens the national government legitimacy by undermining evidence-based policy with conspiracy claims, driving away expertise, and disrupting systems of accountability."—Gina Keel, Professor of Political Science, SUNY Oneonta