Donald Trump’s declaration that he would have “every right” to seek retribution on his political enemies by ordering the Justice Department to prosecute them makes clear that he views the government as a tool of his personal will, rather than the collective one of the American people.
Give him this: He has made no secret of his intention to kick over a host of institutions with that vision in mind if voters decide to give him a do-over in the White House. One plan that hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention, however, is Trump’s desire to replace the professionalized civil service of today with his own version of the 19th-century “spoils system.”
