Electoral Showmanship Cripples Agencies

Federal department heads who prioritize campaign aesthetics and political branding can fail at routine bureaucratic management, creating operational risk in arms‑length institutions responsible for national security and public safety. When political operatives (not career managers) drive agency decisions, missteps—like disputed contracts or deadly enforcement episodes—become more likely and harder to correct. — Points to a recurring governance failure where the skills rewarded in electoral politics are mismatched with the demands of running large public agencies, with consequences for accountability and public safety.