John Kenneth Galbraith<\/a>, a lifelong Democrat who slashed and crashed his way through the swamp during the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy. Galbraith\u2019s eight rules of bureaucratic warfare are a guide for \u2018how one moves in an organisation and moves an organisation\u2019.<\/p>\nWhen fellow hacks left the Canberra press gallery to work for a minister, my parting gift consisted of Galbraith\u2019s rules. Reports back from the ministerial wing were that the water flowing down the Molonglo to Lake Burley Griffin is surprisingly similar to what Galbraith found in the Potomac. Democratic swamps are alike, as are the denizens. Four decades old and as relevant as ever, here are Galbraith\u2019s eight rules for Washington wars:<\/p>\n
1. Either have the President behind you or cultivate that impression. By the same token, never suppose that you can fight the White House; if you are at odds, you must admit defeat and, if the issue requires it, resign. It\u2019s a \u2018notable art\u2019, Galbraith observes, to get close to the presidency and use proximity for \u2018echo and amplification\u2019.<\/p>\n
2. Use the media openly. The official with good access to the media is respected, even feared. The one who avoids reporters and who is without voice on their own behalf, confesses to an insecurity or diffidence that others exploit. The player who relies on surreptitious leaks similarly admits to a lack of effectiveness; they must spend much time covering tracks, and can be defeated not by judging the merits of the case but merely exposure of their activity. Most bureaucratic leaks proceed not from strength but from weakness. \u2018Sneaky behaviour is always a confession of weakness; all experienced operators avoid it.\u2019<\/p>\n
3. Write. Make your views widely and persuasively known. Bureaucracy is large; one can see only a few people to effect direct persuasion. But there\u2019s no limit to the number of people who can be reached by a well-argued paper. And if it\u2019s readable it will be read, since reading is the principal occupation of bureaucrats. As Ambassador to India, Galbraith worked hard to make his cables \u2018interesting or, on occasion, indecent or insulting, for I wanted to be sure they were read\u2019. When senior players asked Kennedy to instruct Galbraith to tone down his muscular missives, the President refused, saying unlike most of his papers, Galbraith\u2019s communications \u2018lightened even if they did not inform his day\u2019.<\/p>\n
When fighting in the swamp, be the drafter of the document. The drafter can concede points without conceding substance. Be the one to draft the scope of the deal and terms of the concessions.<\/p>\n
4. Given the choice between keeping the confidence of your friends and appeasing your enemies, never hesitate. It\u2019s your friends who give you power. You can overcome opposition, but you cannot do it without allies.<\/p>\n
5. Anger and indignation may usefully be simulated but should never be real. They impair judgment.<\/p>\n
6. Think flexibly, act confidently. On foreign policy, as on economic policy, the essence of wisdom lies in not being too sure\u2014no one can foresee for certain the outcome of a line of action. Nevertheless, for bureaucratic success, one must cultivate an outward air of assurance. Others who are themselves uncertain will make your confidence a substitute for their own doubts. If you lack assurance, they will substitute theirs.<\/p>\n
7. Adopt a modest aspect of menace. Arrogance backed by substance can work. Many public officials will go against their convictions to avoid a fight. Galbraith notes his colleagues always thought he had \u2018an unusually well-developed view of my own intellectual excellence\u2019. As Galbraith was leaving for India, The New York Times<\/em> ran a profile of the new ambassador. \u2018At breakfast that day, President Kennedy asked me how I liked it. I said it was fine, but I didn\u2019t see why they had to call me arrogant. \u201cI don\u2019t see why not,\u201d said the President, \u201ceverybody else does\u201d.\u2019 When Galbraith wrote a monograph on the Art of Controversy, he advised that when attacked, a player must retaliate quickly and strongly\u2014\u2018a demonstrated capacity for reprisal serves valuably as a deterrent\u2019.<\/p>\n8. Be ready to lose and leave town: Be mentally accommodated to catching the plane out of Washington on any given morning. Nothing so weakens the position of a senior official as the knowledge that they so love the job that they\u2019ll always, in the end, come to terms. However, Galbraith advises, never threaten to resign\u2014\u2018that only tells one\u2019s allies that one might abandon the field\u2019.<\/p>\n
Good luck in swamps everywhere. And take heart from Galbraith\u2019s assurance: \u2018Remember that most Washington battles are won not out of one\u2019s own strength but from loss of confidence in others and the resulting rush to cover\u2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The man who promised to drain Washington\u2019s swamp has water around his ankles. Alligators snap. Amid the rolling, roiling, rollicking Wars of Washington, Donald Trump needs a map of the swamp. The Donald should uncouple …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":32553,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1428,376,21,31],"class_list":["post-32552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-donald-trump","tag-politics","tag-strategy-2","tag-united-states"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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