Why It’s Important to Trust the Government
On Friday, August 1st, President Trump dismissed the Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following a jobs report that included substantial downward revisions to employment figures from earlier in the year. The decision drew widespread condemnation from experts in government and finance, many of whom viewed the move as retaliatory rather than a response to misconduct or poor performance. The dismissal now casts a shadow over future BLS reports under the Trump administration, raising concerns that data may be politicized to favor the president’s image rather than reflect objective economic realities.
Many commentators have noted the potential economic harm of McEntarfer’s dismissal, but few have articulated the deeper connection between trust in government institutions and the conditions necessary for prosperity and human flourishing. As a natural skeptic of government, I recognize the irony in emphasizing the importance of trust in what the government says and does, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics had long exemplified how a government agency should operate: independent, reliable, and focused on facts. It should have remained a beacon of integrity and instead it now risks becoming a cautionary tale of how political interference can erode institutional credibility, foster economic uncertainty, and sow political instability.
As noted in a recent Wall Street Journal piece, BLS data on inflation plays a vital role in shaping the bond market, Social Security distributions, and retirement account contributions. The common thread behind all of these systems is trust. The trust that the data is accurate, apolitical, and timely. That trust enables markets to function smoothly and allows Americans to make informed decisions about their daily lives. When people can plan with confidence, they are less likely to engage in risky behavior such as gambling, excessive speculation, or under-saving, all of which are habits that often lead to financial instability or even poverty. These positive outcomes stem directly from institutional credibility, but when that trust is undermined, the consequences can be devastating and far-reaching. Consider the erosion of public trust in health officials following the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, vaccine skepticism has surged, and the U.S. is now experiencing its highest number of measles cases since 1992.
There were far more constructive ways President Trump could have addressed this situation. Much of the data collected by the BLS comes from phone-based surveys, yet response rates have declined significantly, and when responses do come in, they often arrive well after the initial request. This delay is a major reason why data revisions occur in the first place, the very same revisions that triggered Trump’s decision to dismiss Erika McEntarfer. Rather than retaliate, why not invest in the agency by hiring additional survey staff or incentivizing innovative methods to improve response rates? The BLS has also had to scale back its data collection for the Consumer Price Index due to funding shortfalls. Again, a more appropriate response would have been to allocate more resources to ensure accurate inflation data, not undermine the institution producing it.
I am genuinely concerned about the growing erosion of trust in government. From the misinformation that led to the Iraq War, which damaged U.S. credibility and weakened military recruitment, to the lack of transparency surrounding President Biden’s health, which has fueled public cynicism, each breach of trust leaves lasting scars. As discussed earlier, the COVID-19 pandemic further deepened this distrust, with public health missteps still echoing in vaccine skepticism and preventable outbreaks. We don’t know the full effects of Erika McEntarfer’s firing yet, but I’m not optimistic that anything good will come of it. When government institutions distort the truth, it undermines social cohesion, fuels polarization, and weakens our ability to function as a unified society. I hope that Republicans in Congress or someone in the Trump administration stands up for Erika McEntarfer. They may actually save the Trump administration by doing so.
