America is going broke. America’s national debt has now surpassed $34 trillion and it's growing. Interest payments alone are projected to hit $1 trillion annually within the next decade, approaching projected levels of spending on defense or Medicare.
Without reforms, this burden will crush future generations.
By identifying and eliminating waste DOGE will address this crisis head-on.
Enter DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, a bold proposal championed by Elon Musk.
DOGE has sparked a conversation about what America needs to thrive in the 21st century.
Here’s why I believe this concept is a game-changer.
The federal government is huge. With a budget exceeding $6 trillion annually and a bureaucracy employing millions, inefficiency is baked into the system. DOGE’s premise is simple: streamline government operations to maximize value and minimize waste.
But won't that lead to public sector job losses?
Yes.
When considering government employment at all levels—local, state, and federal—collectively, government is the largest employer in the United States.
The federal government alone employs around 3 million people, making it the single largest employer in the country when viewed as one entity.
When you add state and local government employees, the total number grows significantly. State and local governments together employ approximately 19.6 million people, with local governments accounting for about 14.2 million and state governments around 5.4 million.
Combined with the federal workforce, this brings the total number of government employees across all levels to over 22 million.
Look around you. Are you satisfied with the services your taxes are paying for?
For comparison, the largest private employer in the U.S., Walmart, employs about 1.6 million people domestically. Even when looking at other major private-sector giants like Amazon (1.1 million U.S. employees) or the healthcare and business services sectors (each around 21-22 million), no single industry or company comes close to the combined scale of government employment across local, state, and federal levels.
So, yes, government as a whole—spanning local, state, and federal—is indeed the largest employer in America, totaling over 22 million workers as of recent estimates.
This reflects the sheer scope of public sector jobs, from education and healthcare to infrastructure and administration nationwide.
Is shedding un-needed headcount the only solution?
No. We have to cut spending, not just payroll and benefits.
One 2023 report estimated that the government overspends by billions each year due to inefficient contracting processes.
DOGE is pushing for data-driven audits, cutting-edge tech solutions, and accountability measures to ensure every dollar is spent as wisely as possible.
In a time when many Americans say they are skeptical of “big government,” a leaner, more efficient system is a no-brainer.
The U.S. has over 400 federal entities alone, many with unclear or redundant missions. There is a lot of overlap in state and local government, too.
Consolidating efforts like these could save billions without cutting essential services. DOGE is aiming to identify what is possible, and integrate AI, automation, and modern practices into public administration.
Essential is the key word. There are things the government is currently doing that are simply not sustainable.
The DOGE vision also taps into the historic American populist streak. Self-reliance and a stubborn, independent mindset built this nation, and against all the odds, it's lasted nearly 250 years. DOGE is about rejecting complacency and embracing bold solutions.
America didn’t prosper by coddling inefficient government drones.
Throughout most of our history, Americans, innovated, adapted, and took risks. Today, in a post-nuclear age, with threats mounting and global competition intensifying, the American can-do spirit is needed more than ever.
America’s economic survival isn’t guaranteed.
Communist China’s government, for all its flaws, tolerates no failure. Bureaucrats are routinely executed when they are caught in corrupt, inept or counterproductive practices. We don't need to go that far, (I hope), but we must do something.
I believe the challenges America faces don’t negate the need for reform. They highlight the stakes. I want America to win.
The Department of Government Efficiency may not be the final answer, and it’s certainly not magic.
But it’s a start.
If DOGE can deliver even half of what its proponents promise, it might just be the jolt this country needs before it's too late.
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