My big congratulations to Federal Times on its Golden Anniversary this year! And what’s a major anniversary like this without a little reflection and reminiscing? So allow me to indulge by examining a few of the big changes I’ve seen as they concern the federal government. I can’t speak from first-hand experience about the last 50 years, but I can discuss the last 15 — I served as editor of Federal Times, from February 2000 until May this year. During that time, three big things happened that completely transformed the federal government and the way Federal Times reports on the government: the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Internet, and the acute polarization of American politics. The implications of all three cannot be overstated.
First, 9/11. The night before the attacks, I flew to Denver with my executive editor, Rick Barnard. We were scheduled to meet with the Denver Federal Executive Board. When we saw coverage of the attacks that morning, we realized right away there would be no meeting. Instead, our focus turned to figuring out a way to get back to our office in northern Virginia to oversee perhaps the biggest story we would ever cover. Flights, buses and trains were grounded; our only option was to drive back in our rental car, which we did, in record time.
The first issue of Federal Times after the attacks — dated Sept. 17, 2001 —conveyed well the widespread sense at the time that the event had ushered in a new era for the government and its employees. Indeed, the attacks led to two long simultaneous wars (three if you count the ongoing and boundless “War on Terrorism”), big increases in the government’s size and budget, major federal reorganizations (the most sweeping of which was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security), a sharp turn toward more secrecy and security, and a new generation of recruits (especially at intelligence and Defense Department agencies). For many feds, the attacks were personal; many lost colleagues and loved ones. The government and the nation were on a war footing after that, and, in many respects, that continues today.
As for the Internet, it was up and running for some years before I became editor, but it didn’t evolve into the fast, reliable and mainstream channel of business and communications for government purposes that it is now until later. Coupled with other big advances in information technologies, the Internet transformed the way federal managers and employees operated on virtually (pun intended) every level. The flurry of major developments, themes and stories stemming from the Internet’s evolution include: Wikileaks, government transparency, telework, BlackBerrys, Edward Snowden, U.S. Cyber Command, smart phones, E-Gov, BYOD, cybersecurity, and let’s not forget about Hillary Clinton’s emails. New federal jobs were created, and some were rendered obsolete.
Finally, we’ve seen a terrible polarization of American politics in recent years, which was precipitated by the sharp increase in federal debt that swelled during this time. The problem existed before 2000 — after all, we suffered two government shutdowns in the mid-1990s — but the dysfunction within Congress was taken to a new level after 2009 when the Tea Party assumed greater clout in the Republican Party. Moderates, particularly Republican moderates, were purged from Congress, making compromise and deal-making in Congress a rarity. And this political shift also fanned the flames of hostility toward the government and government employees. Since then, continuing resolutions, brinksmanship, and the prospects of government shutdowns and sequestration have become the norm. The traditional congressional appropriation process has been tossed out the window, as has effective long-term federal planning and budgeting. And morale among federal employees has been dropping steadily since, prompting concerns about the government’s future ability to recruit and retain top talent.
Probably every federal employee has directly felt in one way or another the imprint of all three of these government-shaping events and trends. And certainly Federal Times has as well.
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Meanwhile, keep an eye on FederalTimes.com over the next few weeks and months for a variety of slideshows, videos, articles and columns marking the occasion of the Federal Times’ Golden Anniversary!
