Executive Power and Civil Service Reform with Adam White and Clark Kelso

Host James-Christian Blockwood talks with Academy Fellow and McGeorge School of Law Professor Clark Kelso and American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Adam White about why public agencies struggle and what the executive branch does in response. They discuss how checks and balances slow action and make errors hard to undo, while polarization and congressional dysfunction push presidents toward unilateral action, creating separation-of-powers conflicts and court intervention. 

The conversation centers on Schedule F and fears it could expand political appointments and erode civil service protections. They conclude trust is rebuilt through tangible, non-rhetorical improvements, suggesting a public-safety focus like FAA modernization.

01:14 Why Agencies Fail
03:25 Checks Balances and Speed
05:22 Congress Gridlock Executive Action
09:44 Unitary Executive and Independence
12:47 Courts Guardrails and Chevron
15:44 Real World Impacts and Trust
19:30 Reforming Bureaucracy and DOGE
23:45 Schedule F Debate
29:31 Rebuilding Trust and Optimism

Management Matters is a presentation of the National Academy of Public Administration produced by Lizzie Alwan and Matt Hampton and edited by Matt Hampton. 

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