Assistant Professor of Sociology Jaime Kucinskas and Associate Professor of Sociology Yvonne Zylan presented their research on federal civil servants’ responses to the Trump administration, in and outside of their jobs, at the American Sociological Association meetings in Philadelphia on Aug. 13.
In a session on Political Consent and Dissent, they gave a talk "Keep Calm and Carry On." They discussed how civil servants' strong normative risk-averse professional culture, many kinds of loyalty to their occupations, and their understandings of the Hatch Act delimit their political, and sometimes civic engagement. In contrast to allegations of a 'deep state' strongly resisting executive influence, their study suggests civil servants typically avoid outright resistance.
