Americans’ faith in the federal government remains historically low, partly because we simply can’t trust what it tells us.
That undermines the political left’s arrogant top-down model of micromanagement of our everyday lives by “expert” administrative state bureaucrats, since that model assumes that the data on which they rest their decrees is correct.
When that data is subsequently exposed as defective, it further calls their entire governance model into question.
The latest illustration arrives with a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) admission that its initial claim that crime dropped in 2022 was incorrect. After first reporting that crime fell by 2.1% that year, it just conceded that crime actually rose 4.5% instead.
Between those two reports, of course, Kamala Harris supporters and mainstream media – obviously an overlapping demographic – ran with the initial number in order to falsely “fact check” Donald Trump.
The episode echoes a similarly false “fact check” during the 2012 Obama/Romney debate by CNN moderator Candy Crowley, also benefiting the Democrat in that race.
It also follows a recent correction from the Department of Labor, which massively overestimated monthly job creation that once again placed the Biden/Harris administration in a falsely positive light.
These persistent errors chip away at the political left’s agenda, which advocates an expansive role of the federal government in micromanaging nearly every societal realm from internet service to healthcare to education to our economy. Central to their ideology is the idea that administrative state bureaucrats – who aren’t elected to their positions and enjoy broad protection from any consequences for their errors – should wield authority over our daily lives based on their more enlightened perspectives. They insist that such technocrats are better equipped to run citizens’ lives than citizens themselves.
Perhaps most offensively, the left often insists that its ideological agenda is somehow not ideological at all, but rather based on “trust in science” or greater objectivity. By claiming to insulate policy decisions from what they consider messy self-interest of the people actually impacted by regulation, they insist that bureaucrats can focus instead on achieving optimal outcomes based upon research, evidence and dispassionate deliberation.
With each accumulating significant error, however, the left’s governance model rightfully comes under greater public scrutiny because those revelations call into question the reliability of the administrative state and its belief in the power of government by experts.
The Covid pandemic offered another perfect example of Americans’ everyday lives being affected by defective government data and arrogance. Evolving guidance from federal agencies, based upon shifting data, led to confusion and erosion of public trust. In time, many bureaucratic positions were exposed as incorrect, oftentimes after contrary evidence and perspectives were deliberately censored.
For a governance model that rests so heavily on data and alleged expertise, even small mistakes can create a growing atmosphere of distrust, and when bureaucrats base decisions on inaccurate information it erodes the credibility of the entire administrative state.
Moreover, as referenced above, the left’s governance model raises deeper questions about the problem of accountability. Unlike elected officials who can be voted out of office, administrative state technocrats remain insulated from public opinion and electoral consequences. In most cases, such personnel also enjoy significantly more lucrative incomes, benefits and job security than workers in the private sector. That only aggravates a public perception that decisionmakers are unaccountable to the people whose lives they regulate. When mistakes are made or policies fail, there’s typically no mechanism for holding those responsible accountable, exacerbating the frustration.
As it relates to crime rates in America, the first-hand public experience contradicts bureaucratic assurances. Specifically, a National Crime Victimization Survey of 230,000 Americans reveals that urban violent crime rates have increased 40% since 2019, while urban property crime rates have increased 26% over that period.
Accordingly, when Americans’ own experience contravenes the assurances of government “experts,” they naturally trust the former.
So while the political left prefers that bureaucrats manage complex societal issues through “expert” governance, revelations of defective data cast doubt on that model’s effectiveness and legitimacy. With trust in government stagnant at record lows, incidents like the FBI data admission challenge the claim that bureaucrats can be trusted to run citizens’ lives better than the citizens themselves.
As we approach a pivotal election, those citizens must ponder the implications as they decide which governance model to endorse.
Reprinted with permission from CFIF – By Timothy H. Lee
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
The entire Executive Branch of the federal government is controlled by the Democrats at this point. The Democrats have completely consolidated their power and control of what is disseminated to the American public, as one would expect after any sort of political coup. So, it is NOT surprising that we see one government report after another, from various government agencies, that is at first erroneous and then quietly corrected, with little fanfare, weeks or months later. This is standard fare in most socialist / Marxist regimes around the world. Such government routinely manipulate data to present whatever picture they want the public to believe.
The FBI put out the first erroneous crime report to give Kamala a talking point both she and the MSM could use to feed the largely uniformed and woefully ignorant public a story that crime has decreased substantially under Biden / Harris. The goal was to boost the Harris campaign and paint the picture that things are going great under Democrat policies. To the uniformed and woefully ignorant Americans out there, this just feeds into the narrative that the MSM is spoon feeding them non-stop. Propaganda works no matter where it comes from!
Now many weeks later the FBI quietly puts out a revised report, which either goes unreported by the MSM or is just barely mentioned by the MSM, that corrects the numbers to show the true nature of the crime stats. Aside from a handful of sites and the few honest news sources still left in this country, the information will never be seen by the vast majority of the masses. So, mission accomplished by the Democrats and their propaganda arm, the MSM. Half the country is dumb enough or brainwashed enough to think a continuation of the last disastrous 4 years is a great idea and are prepared to empower the corruption to continue. Go figure.
Honestly, nothing new here with this article. Again, this is exactly how all authoritarian regimes around the world operate. That the American people continue to allow this intentional destruction of what’s left of the republic to continue is of course still the real story. However, nothing has demonstrably changed on that front, so it is what it is. We live in interesting times.
The FBI lost major credibility when Hilldog clinton Weaponized the FBI to go after Republican Senators and Republican Congressmen in the 1990’s during election years including Weaponizing the IRS against Republicans during the same time frame. They lost more credibility during obama’s time and today, well, we’ve seen how corrupt they are now under biden/harris Weaponized FBI just like all the rest of the federal agencies under biden/harris.
Just as biden authorized the use of deadly force against President Trump when they Raided his home which by the way is the first time a sitting so-called president used political motivation against a former President in U.S. history including against Innocent Americans that only a Dictator would do.
Now imagine how much worse the FBI would be under a Communist harris administration.
Not FBI error but manipulation of facts to lull the population into believing that all is well in the land of Oz.
Where’s the Probe into Hunter biden’s Foreign Lobbying? In fact, Where’s Hunter?
The citizens of the US will never hear the REAL crime rates, because most crime isn’t reported and most criminals are never caught. I can add one idea: Start reporting the REAL effect of gun owners stopping crime (John Stossel just did a great report on this-on UTube). We all know the crime rates have increased, just like we knew we were in a recession. We know the government manipulates “facts” (lies). Why half the country doesn’t seem to care and keeps voting in these liars is beyond my comprehension.
Dismantle the entire FBI and all U.S. Government law enforcement agencies they are totally corrupt top down!! If states need special Federal type law enforcement then let each individual state create such an agency at that specific states taxpayers expense! Thus states like Wyoming do not pay for the irresponsible crime of states like New York and California….
Using the government against a political opponent, that’s nothing new. The only thing is they’re not hiding their corruption it seems.
Russia, Russia, Russia cost them the credibility they gained back that Waco or Ruby Ridge cost them before. This is the perfect example of Trumps “enemy within”: deep state police forces!
Do you not understand what the FBI is doing? They are dividing the nation by reporting these two reports. They are letting the left believe one way while then reporting the truth which supports the narrative of the right. Everyone believes that the side that they oppose is lying. Defund the FBI and the CIA. Start holding the media responsible for their crimes. That will go far in bringing our country together.
I would think it’s amazing if any valid info at all got through to the American public. Those are the ethics that have been displayed by the left for several decades now.
It clearly benefitted the Dem’s in power to lie and state the crime rate was down. All of their dirty schemes that keep coming to light and they still have groupies by the millions. The mind boggles….BTW, I early voted in person yesterday and there were two stands outside the voting location, one for each presidential camp. There were NEVER any people at the Harris stand represented by two women, but there were never less than 3 people (and once 6 or more) at the Trump stand. No, I am not stating this as some significant statistic, but it does line up with what I see everywhere I go. The empty headed pantsuit brigade seem to me outnumbered around 10-1. But the polls say its hair splitting close. Sure it is….
Lets all grow up and take the blinders off. When in its entire history has the FBI ever earned the trust of the people? It’s been corrupt since its founding. I remember when Hoover FINALLY passed away and there were promises coming from every corner about re-habbing the FBI. Didn’t happen and if anything things are much worse today than when “Jedgar” held the reins at our “premier law enforcement division”.
Congress should simply remove all funding from the bureau and let the memory of it having ever existed fade into one bad memory.
Isn’t every government department iffy since barry was in charge.Do you really think that what is supposed to be the government of the people,for the people and by the people has any meaning today.I feel that it should read,of the sewer,by the sewer and for the entities that are in control of the sewer,and that where they belong starting with soros(AKA:jabba the hut)
The fact that Biden is President has eroded my trust in government.
I am 80 and never thought our country would become totally divided between good and evil. It is heart-breaking for people my age who grew up in the post WW2 patriotic years. We took our Constitution for granted and allowed these Communists to brainwash our children in public schools that they poisoned to work their evil on the most vulnerable. It is very possible if President Trump does not win next week that our freedoms…ALL of them will be lost. We have seen these evil people slowly worm their way into our government until they finally have had full control. Trump in 2016 was just a “bump” in the road for their plans. That is why they despise him and his voters and will do anything to win. I pray for Trump’s safety for I know they want him gone!
“Perhaps most offensively, the left often insists that its ideological agenda is somehow not ideological at all, but rather based on ‘trust in science…’” If you count voodoo science as fact, then you are correct.