The American Integrity Project: Concrete Steps to Save Our Government
Anthony Biglan and Michael Biglan
An American Integrity Project is essential to stop the deliberate dismantling of our federal government. Trump, Musk, and their allies are waging an unprecedented assault on nearly every federal agency, gutting institutions that protect our health, safety, and democracy. The devastation they are unleashing is not just reckless — it’s a direct threat to the nation’s future. If we do not act now, the damage may be irreparable.
Functions of the American Integrity Project
Collect and Protect Vital Data
The federal government collects data relevant to virtually every facet of our well-being — infectious disease, child poverty, crime, weather, economic growth, inflation, etc. The Trump administration has prohibited the release of some information, and no one knows what they are doing with the data they have. To the extent possible, we need to get the data and ensure that it is not destroyed. It is particularly likely that any epidemics will not be accurately reported; this is what Trump called for the last time he was president.
The Integrity Project can organize the many experts on data collection and reporting who have been dismissed from government. They can save the data that they still can access, collect data that the government is suppressing, and make it publicly available. For example, there is a growing threat of bird flu, as well as measles, COVID-19, and flu outbreaks. During the pandemic, Trump insisted that there should be no testing for COVID and no reporting of it. Suppressing data on infectious diseases will increase the number of Americans who die.
Prevent and Mitigate Harm
The Integrity Project must track and report on all the ways Trump’s policies are hurting Americans, including:
- Loss of benefits such as healthcare coverage and poverty reduction programs.
- Cuts to consumer protections, environmental regulations, and public health research.
- Funding cuts for education, scientific innovation, and international disease prevention.
- Job losses for thousands of federal employees.
The project must work to support the people who are being harmed:
· Organize and support litigation to ensure that congressionally approved benefits continue to be provided.
· Organize major foundations to direct their efforts to the needs of those who are being harmed.
· The project will need to partner with governors and mayors to fill gaps left by gutted federal agencies (e.g., state-based health and environmental initiatives).
· It will need to provide policy blueprints for state legislatures to adopt countermeasures against federal rollbacks.
Reform the Federal Government
One goal of the Integrity Project should be to improve government functioning so that it better serves people’s needs. Jennifer Pahlka’s recent book and op-ed, along with Ezra Klein’s podcasts, and Marc Dunkleman’s new book, Why Nothing Works provide numerous examples of how bureaucracy stands in the way of effective service to citizens. It can take as much as two years for the government to create a website that people can use to access benefits. And the websites are often so complicated that people give up trying to apply. The frustration and distrust of government is not due to Trump propaganda as much as it is due to the fact that computer programs vital to providing services are frustratingly difficult to use. The Integrity Project must:
- Fix outdated, inaccessible systems that make it hard for people to get benefits.
- Streamline government websites and applications for Medicare, VA benefits, student loans, etc.
- Push for bipartisan efforts to modernize public services so they work for everyone.
Strengthen Communications to Reach Americans Who Are Being Harmed
The Integrity Project will need to build a sophisticated system for telling the stories of the people who are suffering thanks to Trump’s reckless actions. The chaos that the administration is creating will open new opportunities to communicate with people who have supported Trump but are now finding that their lives are endangered by cessation of health research, their businesses are being harmed (e.g., farmers in Kansas, the auto industry, and victims of consumer fraud) their schools and preschools are losing funding, their privacy is being invaded, nuclear safety is being compromised, and social security is threatened.
The millions of people who are attending rallies need to be linked to progressive media sources. And strategies to reach MAGA supporters need to be developed, tested, and refined.
Prepare for a Post-Trump Reconstruction
The Integrity project can develop a transition plan for restoring critical agencies (EPA, CDC, NIH, USAID) and undoing harmful executive orders. It can draft model legislation for the next administration to swiftly reverse damage to democratic institutions.
We need an “America 2029” plan that goes into detail about both the principles for restoring our government and the reforms that will make government more accountable, more helpful, and more trusted.
Composition of the American Integrity Project
The Trump administration is removing thousands of civil servants from key federal agencies. Their targets include many high-level leaders of these agencies who have years of experience. In addition, former leaders of these agencies have spoken out against their decimation. These people have the knowledge, experience, and motivation to defend the agencies and to serve some of the functions that Trump’s administration is neglecting.
The Integrity Project can be organized around each of the cabinet-level agencies (e.g., Treasury, Health and Human Services, Justice, Transportation, Education) as well as sub-agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Governance
This effort must be led by a coalition of Democratic, Republicans, and Independents. It must be focused not on winning the next election, but on addressing the problems that are being caused by the assault on government. It is only when this effort is widely seen as addressing peoples’ needs and concerns, that we can bring the majority of Americans to oppose what the Trump cabal is doing. And a nonpartisan effort will begin to lay the groundwork for ending the divisiveness that has plagued the nation.
Funding
The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 includes proposals that could significantly impact foundations and non-profit organizations. These organizations should be motivated to support efforts to push back against the administration.
Millions of progressives are clamoring for more effective action and will support a well-organized Integrity Project. And then there are the remaining billionaires who have not gone over to the dark side.
Next Steps
If you have been looking for a concrete plan to address the threat of Trump, you have one here. If you like this idea, join us in making it a reality.
- Share this as widely as possible.
- Help us reach influential people — Senators, Congresspeople, and Pundits.
- Subscribe to our column.
- Volunteer to help build this effort. We can provide you with the information you need to write a short statement about the harm of one specific action of the Trump cabal, such as the firing of EPA staff that could reduce air quality and increase deaths due to pollution.
- The fight for American democracy is now. Let’s build the solution together.
Contact: Tony@Biglan.org