A crisis in the US federal government

Abstract

The second Trump administration has unleashed a fierce attack on the federal civil service, grantees, fellows, and contractors. This editorial describes the administration’s aims, identifies the responsibilities of the civil service in a democracy, and suggests some ways social scientists might respond. These reflections were sparked by a listening session at the March 2025 Society for Applied Anthropology meeting, which brought together current and former federal employees and their allies.