The entrepreneur vs. the Fortune 500

Dilbert writer Scott Adams posted something today that really helped me understand the Trump administration, and why it has such appeal. He described Trump as approaching his administration in the same way an entrepreneur would -- quick acting, open to risk, and resilient to criticism. By contrast, previous administrations have acted like Fortune 500 companies: risk averse, slow to adapt, and methodical in their decision-making.

The core issue is: what do you want from your government?

Those opposed to the president's actions can rattle off a litany of sins, both from the campaign and the past 10 days. Democrats are freaking out about everything because they have very little control over the direction of the country, and have resorted to boycotting Cabinet confirmation hearing in protest. And even Republicans in Congress are uncomfortable with the expanded powers the president has assumed via his executive orders. The bureaucracy is in revolt as well. Sally Yates, the Acting Attorney General, openly defied the president, and dissent is brewing in the Foreign Service, too (for sources, please see the previous post).

Nevertheless, you could also look at things and say Trump's doing a great job. Never before has a recently inaugurated president accomplished so much in so little time.

How do you square that circle?

Like I said, it's a question of what you're comfortable with in government. Trump supporters think his decisions are great, but that's because they were looking for a fearless, strong decision maker who would shake things up. (I think we can all agree he's done that.)

If you're someone from a rural part of Wisconsin who has seen middle-class blue collar jobs disappear over the past 40 years, seen urban residents take your tax dollars and leave your roads to deteriorate, and watched a big-business dominated government make deals that cater to the rich while regular people barely tread water, electing an outsider sounds like a great idea. Let's try something new! Disruption's a great idea! So stop belly-aching and give him a chance!

But if that's *not* what you want -- if you liked the status quo, felt Obama had been doing just fine, or prefer your government to be methodical rather than "chaotic" -- then you're probably not happy right now. On one level it's a matter of politics, sure, but it's also a question about *values* and how you want your government to operate.

The real challenge for Trump is that he *is* an entrepreneur. For his entire life, he's always been at the top of his own totem pole. Now that he's in charge of the most bureaucratic institution in the America -- the federal government -- I wonder how he'll cope. He's never had to justify himself to any "shareholders" before, so I can see how he'd be frustrated by the media who don't cater to his narcissism.

I think electing Trump has been perhaps the biggest gamble on a president the U.S. has made since Andrew Jackson. In the end, the real question will be one of effectiveness. And despite how I feel about the pace of his decisions, the only thing I can say is: let's see how things are in four years.