The incoming Trump administration’s solution to government spending is a new Department of Government Efficiency led by co-department chiefs: the world’s richest man and Trump’s former political opponent.
But while on the surface the plan to cut government spending seems simple, the “department,” led by multibillionaire Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is fairly unorthodox. The U.S. Constitution states the President: “may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments.” That section implies a primary leader and explains why the 15 executive Cabinet departments including State, Defense, and Treasury have a single secretary with a chain-of-command from the President on down. However, other agencies, like the Federal Trade Commission, are governed by a commission structure; the President taps one commissioner to serve as chair.
