What is Project 2025?
Project 2025 is a comprehensive roadmap designed by conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation in anticipation of a potential second Trump administration. Unlike typical transition plans, this one focuses intensively on revamping federal personnel policies and government structure.
The Core Idea: Dismantling the Administrative State
Imagine the federal government as a sturdy three-legged stool resting on legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Over the past century, a fourth leg — the “administrative state” comprising career bureaucrats and agencies — has grown, influencing government far beyond initial intentions. Project 2025’s plan? To cut back this fourth leg, restoring power squarely to elected officials.
What This Means in Practice
One notable move from the previous Trump administration was the creation of Schedule F, a new bureaucrat category that stripped civil servants of traditional job protections, making it easier for presidents to remove them. Project 2025 seeks to expand this approach drastically, lining up vetted conservatives to replace or pressure career officials seen as politically non-aligned. This tactic could reshape federal agencies’ culture, shifting from neutral public service toward clear political loyalty.
The Labor Board Under Siege
In line with Project 2025’s goals, efforts are underway to weaken the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which traditionally protects workers’ collective bargaining rights. Trump-era policies have rendered it difficult for NLRB staff to support labor, particularly among federal employees. This signals a wider shift toward prioritized management control over labor interests.
The Role of State and Local Governments
With federal labor protections diminished, many expect the defense of workers’ rights to pivot to blue states and cities. For instance, labor fights around local wage standards like the Olympic Wage in Los Angeles are becoming critical battlegrounds.
Controversy and Concerns
Experts warn that Project 2025’s personnel overhauls could degrade government efficiency and the quality of public services, while undermining democratic accountability. The plan reflects a broader political strategy that blurs governance with culture wars, raising constitutional questions.
Why It Matters to You
Whether or not Project 2025 comes to full fruition, it reveals how political agendas can dramatically reshape project management at the highest government levels — redrawing lines of power, labor protection, and bureaucratic neutrality. For anyone involved in managing projects within or alongside the government, understanding these shifts is crucial.
In short: Project 2025 isn’t just a political play; it is a real-world blueprint that could redraw how federal projects are managed, through personnel changes and policy overhaul, affecting everything from labor rights to government efficiency.
Stay tuned as this unfolds – it’s governance and project management reshaped by political vision.
References:
- https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-national-labor-relations-board/
- https://www.americanprogress.org/series/project-2025-exposing-the-far-right-assault-on-america/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omujq00Lo4M
- https://www.mcaa.org/news/government-affairs-update-2025-06-16/
- https://kettering.org/donald-moynihan-project-2025s-threat-to-democracy-special-episode/
- https://whistleblower.org
- https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/sbi2025_04a01_adv.pdf
- https://dppa.un.org/en/week-dppa-14-20-june-2025
