June 12, 2025 • 6 mins
The implementation of Project 2025, or a similar agenda, would likely lead to a fundamental transformation of American governance. This includes a marked shift in the balance of power towards the presidency, a significant reduction in the role and independence of the federal civil service, and a reorientation of public services and regulatory functions. The potential for rapid, executive-driven changes could result in a drastically altered relationship between citizens and the state, with long-lasting implications for economic opportunity, social equity, and democratic norms.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You've found. You've found Ask Alice, the podcast that takes
a deep dive into the societal currents shaping our lives.
I'm your host, Alice, and together we'll explore the often
unseen forces at play. We'll examine cutting edge research, dissect
the data, and most importantly, if you're seeking to understand
(00:20):
what's shaping our society, this is the place.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Okay, So let's dig into this topic. You brought us
Project twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Right, and it's moved beyond just theory, hasn't it.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Seems like it.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
We're looking at this massive document, mandate for leadership, over
nine hundred pages.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah, exactly, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and a whole
coalition of conservative.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Groups, and the sources say it's a blueprint ready to
go at twelve year a loon, January twenty twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
That's the plan laid out for fundamentally reshaping the federal government.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Okay, So our mission here, just to be clear for
everyone listening, is to unpack what's in this plan based
strictly on the source material we have, and really focus
on what it could mean for you, the average working
person just trying to well make ends.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Meet absolutely, and the core idea, well, it's ambitious. It's
about consolidating presidential power and really restructuring federal agencies, sometimes
even dismantling them, according to the text, all to implement
a specific agenda quickly.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
And there's an ideological underpinning there, right, something called the
unitary executive theory that's.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Mentioned, Yes, the idea that the president should have broad
control over the executive branch.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Proponents in the sources argue it's needed to quote tame
what they call an unaccountable bureaucracy, right.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
While critics cited raise flags about politicization, and some point
to concerns about Christian nationalist influences in certain areas.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Okay, so let's get specific. How does this impact the
government itself the people working there.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Well, one of the big proposals is Schedule F or
something like it. Right, it's about reclassifying potentially tens of
thousands of federal civil service.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Jobs, reclassifying, how basically stripping.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Their civil service protections, making them easier to replace with, say,
political loyalists.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
And we're not talking small numbers. Sources mentioned HHS Health
and Human Services reportedly looking at maybe twenty thousand cuts.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
That figure is cited in some analysis. Yeah, about twenty
five percent of their workforce potentially affected under such a plan.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Wow. And this connects to unions too.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Yes. Proposals to weaken or even get rid of public
sector unions and collective bargaining rights are also discussed in
the materials.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
So think about this.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
If you have a workforce running things like Social Security, Medicare,
Medicaid that's potentially smaller, more political, less experienced.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
What does that do to the services you rely on?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
That's the key question raised by critics and the sources.
Potential delays, loss of know how, impacting reliability.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Okay, let's bridge this to know your actual paycheck and
daily life.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
What about wages worker per detections?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Those sources detail potential changes there too, like reducing who
qualifies for overtime pay. Yeah, maybe letting employers offer comp
time instead of actual cash payment for that extra work
and they control when you take it.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
And minimum wage.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Proposals to weaken federal minimum wage laws, perhaps state waivers
or allowing weight is below the local standard on federal projects.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
And if unions are weaker, as mentioned, then.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
The power for workers to negotiate better paying conditions is diminished,
that's a point raised.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Okay, what about the safety net, health care, food assistance?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Significant changes proposed there? Eliminating the Affordable Care Act The
ACA is still a stated.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Goal, right, and Medicare Medicaid.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Potential cuts, adding work requirements for Medicaid work requirements, yeah,
and ending Medicare's power to negotiate drug prices. Plus. Sources
mentioned severe restrictions on reproductive health care, possibly reviving old
laws like the Comstock.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Act Commstock Act affecting abortion access materials storically.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Yes. Then there's snap food stamps.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Sources talk about substantial cuts potentially affecting what up to
forty million.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
People forty million and headstart.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Targeted for elimination in the plan. Wow.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Education overall seems to be in the crosshairs too.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Proposals include eliminating the Department of Education entirely.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
A whole department, that's what's laid.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Out, cutting public school funding, ending some federal student loan
repayment plans, the income driven ones.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Okay, and taxes any shifts proposed there.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah. The sources described lowering the corporate tax rate and
implementing a two tier flat tax system.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Flat tax how would that play out well?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Analysis cited suggests it could actually raise taxes for a
lot of low and middle income folks, while the wealthy
c cuts.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
And quickly workplace safety environment.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Potential rollbacks for OOSTRA protections, proposals easing rules on hiring
kids for certain jobs listed as dangerous, reduce penalties for violations.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Hiring kids for dangerous jobs.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Language used in some proposals is being interpreted that way
by critics, and environmental deregulation which could carry risks and
costs for families. So you put all this together, weakening
worker power, safety nets, potential tax shifts. The trajectory described
in the sources points toward well more financial instability, making
it potentially much harder for working families to just get by.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
And again, just to be really clear, we're laying out
what's in the source material provided. Proponents say this makes
government efficient, restores values right.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Critics warn about the opposite, inequality, loss services, politicization, even
risks to democratic norms. We're just reporting the content exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
So why should you listening right now care about this
dense policy.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Stuff, Because according to these sources, it touches almost everything.
Your job security, maybe with schedule F, your payover time, minimum.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Wage, your healthcare, food security, ACA, Medicare, s and RP cuts,
your kids education, head start, public.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Schools, safety at work with OSHA changes, even potentially the
cost of energy or dealing with pollution through environmental policy shifts.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
These aren't minor tweaks we're talking about. The sources describe
a fundamental reshaping of the government's role in your.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Life, potentially shifting a lot more risk onto individuals and families.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Based purely on the documents provided, it looks like significant
potential challenges ahead for the average working person if this
plan were fully implemented.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
So maybe the final thought is this The stated goal
is efficiency, responsiveness, But consider the methods proposed mass politicization,
dismantling agencies. How might those methods affect the actual reliability
the fairness of the services and protections you count on.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Something to definitely think about as you
You've found. You've found Ask Alice, the podcast that takes
a deep dive into the societal currents shaping our lives.
I'm your host, Alice, and together we'll explore the often
unseen forces at play. We'll examine cutting edge research, dissect
the data, and most importantly, if you're seeking to understand
(00:20):
what's shaping our society, this is the place.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Okay, So let's dig into this topic. You brought us
Project twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Right, and it's moved beyond just theory, hasn't it.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Seems like it.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
We're looking at this massive document, mandate for leadership, over
nine hundred pages.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah, exactly, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and a whole
coalition of conservative.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Groups, and the sources say it's a blueprint ready to
go at twelve year a loon, January twenty twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
That's the plan laid out for fundamentally reshaping the federal government.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Okay, So our mission here, just to be clear for
everyone listening, is to unpack what's in this plan based
strictly on the source material we have, and really focus
on what it could mean for you, the average working
person just trying to well make ends.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Meet absolutely, and the core idea, well, it's ambitious. It's
about consolidating presidential power and really restructuring federal agencies, sometimes
even dismantling them, according to the text, all to implement
a specific agenda quickly.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
And there's an ideological underpinning there, right, something called the
unitary executive theory that's.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Mentioned, Yes, the idea that the president should have broad
control over the executive branch.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Proponents in the sources argue it's needed to quote tame
what they call an unaccountable bureaucracy, right.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
While critics cited raise flags about politicization, and some point
to concerns about Christian nationalist influences in certain areas.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Okay, so let's get specific. How does this impact the
government itself the people working there.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Well, one of the big proposals is Schedule F or
something like it. Right, it's about reclassifying potentially tens of
thousands of federal civil service.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Jobs, reclassifying, how basically stripping.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Their civil service protections, making them easier to replace with, say,
political loyalists.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
And we're not talking small numbers. Sources mentioned HHS Health
and Human Services reportedly looking at maybe twenty thousand cuts.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
That figure is cited in some analysis. Yeah, about twenty
five percent of their workforce potentially affected under such a plan.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Wow. And this connects to unions too.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Yes. Proposals to weaken or even get rid of public
sector unions and collective bargaining rights are also discussed in
the materials.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
So think about this.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
If you have a workforce running things like Social Security, Medicare,
Medicaid that's potentially smaller, more political, less experienced.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
What does that do to the services you rely on?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
That's the key question raised by critics and the sources.
Potential delays, loss of know how, impacting reliability.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Okay, let's bridge this to know your actual paycheck and
daily life.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
What about wages worker per detections?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Those sources detail potential changes there too, like reducing who
qualifies for overtime pay. Yeah, maybe letting employers offer comp
time instead of actual cash payment for that extra work
and they control when you take it.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
And minimum wage.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Proposals to weaken federal minimum wage laws, perhaps state waivers
or allowing weight is below the local standard on federal projects.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
And if unions are weaker, as mentioned, then.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
The power for workers to negotiate better paying conditions is diminished,
that's a point raised.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Okay, what about the safety net, health care, food assistance?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Significant changes proposed there? Eliminating the Affordable Care Act The
ACA is still a stated.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Goal, right, and Medicare Medicaid.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Potential cuts, adding work requirements for Medicaid work requirements, yeah,
and ending Medicare's power to negotiate drug prices. Plus. Sources
mentioned severe restrictions on reproductive health care, possibly reviving old
laws like the Comstock.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Act Commstock Act affecting abortion access materials storically.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Yes. Then there's snap food stamps.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Sources talk about substantial cuts potentially affecting what up to
forty million.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
People forty million and headstart.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Targeted for elimination in the plan. Wow.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Education overall seems to be in the crosshairs too.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Proposals include eliminating the Department of Education entirely.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
A whole department, that's what's laid.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Out, cutting public school funding, ending some federal student loan
repayment plans, the income driven ones.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Okay, and taxes any shifts proposed there.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah. The sources described lowering the corporate tax rate and
implementing a two tier flat tax system.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Flat tax how would that play out well?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Analysis cited suggests it could actually raise taxes for a
lot of low and middle income folks, while the wealthy
c cuts.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
And quickly workplace safety environment.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Potential rollbacks for OOSTRA protections, proposals easing rules on hiring
kids for certain jobs listed as dangerous, reduce penalties for violations.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Hiring kids for dangerous jobs.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Language used in some proposals is being interpreted that way
by critics, and environmental deregulation which could carry risks and
costs for families. So you put all this together, weakening
worker power, safety nets, potential tax shifts. The trajectory described
in the sources points toward well more financial instability, making
it potentially much harder for working families to just get by.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
And again, just to be really clear, we're laying out
what's in the source material provided. Proponents say this makes
government efficient, restores values right.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Critics warn about the opposite, inequality, loss services, politicization, even
risks to democratic norms. We're just reporting the content exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
So why should you listening right now care about this
dense policy.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Stuff, Because according to these sources, it touches almost everything.
Your job security, maybe with schedule F, your payover time, minimum.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Wage, your healthcare, food security, ACA, Medicare, s and RP cuts,
your kids education, head start, public.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Schools, safety at work with OSHA changes, even potentially the
cost of energy or dealing with pollution through environmental policy shifts.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
These aren't minor tweaks we're talking about. The sources describe
a fundamental reshaping of the government's role in your.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Life, potentially shifting a lot more risk onto individuals and families.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Based purely on the documents provided, it looks like significant
potential challenges ahead for the average working person if this
plan were fully implemented.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
So maybe the final thought is this The stated goal
is efficiency, responsiveness, But consider the methods proposed mass politicization,
dismantling agencies. How might those methods affect the actual reliability
the fairness of the services and protections you count on.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Something to definitely think about as you
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