This Planet Money episode examines the Trump administration's attempts to drastically reduce the federal workforce, comparing it to the Clinton administration's National Performance Review (NPR) in the 1990s. The podcast contrasts the approaches, highlighting the NPR's focus on regulatory reform and gradual job reductions versus the Trump administration's more chaotic, legally challenged mass firings. A key takeaway is that while eliminating all federal jobs would save $271 billion annually (4% of the federal budget), focusing solely on job cuts is inefficient; the NPR found greater savings through regulatory reform. The episode concludes by suggesting that the Trump administration's approach, while initially chaotic, might become more methodical with confirmed cabinet secretaries in place.
