# Civil Service Deconstruction The concept of "civil service deconstruction" involves examining instances when the civil service is challenged, criticized, or dismantled. This note serves as a space to compile cases, episodes, and reflections on these processes, drawing inspiration from Merilee S. Grindle’s groundbreaking work on the [construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction of civil service systems in Latin America](https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty/merilee-grindle). The goal is not to judge whether these actions constitute destruction, but rather to document how those involved understand the process. --- ## Entries **[[2025-12-25]]:** I read the [Bellodi and Lee paper](https://lucabellodi.com/material/DOGE_Bellodi_Lee.pdf) on the [[Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)|DOGE]] case, which points to a distinct form of institutional attack that can be described as **“[[Hostile State Capacity]]”.** Rather than the familiar dynamics of state “dismantling” or “hollowing out,” the case shows the preservation and strategic use of high-functioning parts of the state for partisan ends. As Bellodi and Lee show, DOGE did not act through administrative failure, but through the sophisticated weaponization of federal procurement databases and the co-opted [[U.S. Digital Service (USDS)|USDS]] technical infrastructure, enabling targeted contract cancellations against opposition donors while maintaining operational capacity. This pattern suggests a condition in which bureaucratic competence is preserved but deliberately reoriented against specific internal groups or democratic norms. Whether this concept already exists in the literature on democratic backsliding, or under a different name, remains a task for me to discover. **[[2025-06-11]]:** In mid-2024, the public interest design firm [[Vraiment Vraiment]], in collaboration with the [[Collectif Nos Services Publics]], organized an open event for public servants in France. The event was intended to discuss the political climate following the threat of a far-right government. Although the immediate crisis was averted in the parliamentary elections, concerns about the future of public services persisted. An informal working group was formed to continue addressing these issues, including participants from La 27e Région, Partie Prenante, and Vraiment Vraiment. As part of their efforts, the group launched a [national survey](https://autrementautrement.com/articles/un-an-apres-la-dissolution-continuer-a-cerner-d-ou-vient-le-danger) to collect testimonies from public sector workers regarding perceived democratic breakdowns and their impact on frontline services. **[[2025-06-02]]:** Founded in 2024, Verwaltung für Demokratie e. V. ([Administration for Democracy](https://verwaltung-fuer-demokratie.de/)) is a German association of public administration employees dedicated to defending the democratic constitutional order through administrative practice. The organization promotes political neutrality as a democratic strength, protects employees from anti-democratic threats, and builds legal and practical capacity to uphold constitutional values. Their initiatives include the "Erste-Hilfe-Kit Demokratie" (First Aid Kit for Democracy), which provides guidance and support for public servants facing challenges to democratic principles in their work environments. The association serves as a platform for coordination, support, and awareness-raising across the public sector.