The last time we shrank the federal workforce

This Planet Money episode compares the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the federal workforce with the Clinton administration's National Performance Review (NPR) in the 1990s. The podcast contrasts the approaches, highlighting the NPR's focus on eliminating wasteful regulations and obsolete programs alongside job cuts, versus the Trump administration's more chaotic and legally challenged firings. A key finding from the NPR was that significant savings came not just from job cuts but also from streamlining regulations, such as those surrounding government procurement. The episode concludes by suggesting that while the Trump administration aimed for massive job cuts, the actual savings might be far less than anticipated and that future efforts may focus more on regulatory reform. The example of the Tea Tasters Board, eliminated by the NPR, illustrates the type of obsolete programs targeted for removal.