The term "ungoverning" was coined by authors Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum in their new book, Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos, to describe a movement that goes beyond the traditional conservative call for smaller government.
This new trend, according to the authors, actively seeks to dismantle essential government structures, weakening their ability to serve the public, all for political gain.
"The work of bringing democracy to life of governing is carried on by thousands of men and women who collect taxes and take photographs for the National Park Service, translate languages for the State Department and register voters," Muirhead explained. He noted an idea made popular by Steve Bannon — the profit of the destruction.
"In a democracy, we’re supposed to be suspicious of power, of institutions. But what we’re seeing now is something deeper: delegitimation."Nancy L. Rosenblum
One example of government’s critical role is disaster response. “We expect government to respond in emergencies,” Muirhead noted, referencing the drinking water crisis in Asheville, North Carolina, following recent hurricanes. This work requires trained experts who serve in a nonpartisan way, ready to respond when the situation calls for it.
Co-author Rosenblum emphasized this is not about smaller government or deregulation; rather, it’s “a project of destruction.” Underpinning it, she argues, is a conspiracy theory of a “deep state” opposed to certain political figures, creating a dangerous narrative that positions government as an enemy rather than a public service.
The authors argue dismantling government institutions goes beyond constructive skepticism, instead delegitimizing these essential systems.
“There’s always a process,” Muirhead explained. “It’s about people persuading others and going through the right steps to reach outcomes.”
However, in today’s climate, some politicians use urgent needs as fuel for radical promises, aiming to immediately break down governmental procedures. “You want it to happen now, you want someone to step in with a hammer and just bust up the obstacles,” Muirhead said.
Yet this reactionary approach, he warned, clashes with constitutional democracy and disregards the balance intended in government functions.
Certain government roles were meant to remain nonpartisan, like judges. But today, intense partisanship often implies a desire to eliminate checks and balances altogether, consolidating power within one party.
“If you think of the word party,” Rosenblum said, “it means ... a recognition that you’re part of a whole with other parties. If you don’t win an election, you don’t overthrow the government.”
This environment, Rosenblum noted, shifts partisanship from respectful competition to outright hostility, where the opposition is viewed as an “enemy within.”
The idea of a smaller government isn’t new. Muirhead noted the difference in approach between past and present leaders. He recalled how President Ronald Reagan expressed skepticism about government as part of a broader vision.
“For Reagan, that note was just one note in a much more complicated song he was singing,” Muirhead explained. “Today, we hear only that one note.”
This narrow focus, he said, has edged genuine conservatism out of mainstream politics. He pointed to figures like Liz Cheney and Mike Pence as examples of principled conservatives who challenged this trend. “Part of our book,” Muirhead added, “is a call to conservatives to reclaim a genuine conversation for their party and their country.”
Rosenblum continued, "We now have a situation where people are not just partisans, they believe they are all the whole, and the others, the other party, the other people's various classes and groups," she said, "as we're hearing over and over again today — 'enemies within.'"
The role of the press
It isn’t just government that has been undermined — trust in the press has also sharply declined. According to Ungoverning authors Muirhead and Rosenblum, this erosion goes beyond simple skepticism to something they call “delegitimation.”
“Distrust or mistrust — it’s too light a word,” Rosenblum explained. “In a democracy, we’re supposed to be suspicious of power, of institutions. But what we’re seeing now is something deeper: delegitimation.”
Delegitimation is a targeted effort to strip institutions like the free press of their value and authority. It’s a strategy aimed at persuading the public that these institutions are not only unreliable but irrelevant, thereby freeing individuals from the need to engage with or comply with them.
Learn about the candidates in contested races by clicking here.
The undermining of the press, Rosenblum said, is part of a broader trend that also affects elections, health care and other essential institutions.
“When elections are delegitimized, people feel no obligation to respect their outcomes. Similarly, when the press is undermined, people feel free to ignore it, seeing it as biased or even as an enemy to their beliefs,” she explained.
This rhetoric, promoted in part by influential political figures, has positioned the press and other institutions as “internal enemies” to be not only ignored but actively opposed.
Skepticism and hope
While Rosenblum and Muirhead recognize an urgency to address issues of dismantling government, they still have hope.
"We're talking about distrust, skepticism. We also need to cultivate alongside that just as citizens, an ability to appreciate not just the government in the personal sense, those buildings with columns, the institutions, but the real people who do the work of government."
He highlights government workers as individuals who dedicate their careers to cultivating knowledge and expertise, which they use to serve the public.
Rosenblum added, "We don't expect parades with banners that say 'protect the bureaucrat.' That's not going to happen." Instead she recommends developing an appreciation of the benefits that exist because of a functioning government.
"The fact is we have to have, intellectual at least, appreciation, if not affection for what government does and what our government in the United States does very well."
Find more information on Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos here.
