3 Million Civil Servants Tremble Before 6 People... The Identity of Those Shaking the US Government
- The US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is an advisory body led by Elon Musk and six young talents driving government innovation.
- DOGE has top secret security clearance and access to major government systems, raising conflict of interest concerns.
- DOGE is pushing for government reorganization, but specific changes like abolishing the Department of Education are difficult due to congressional opposition.
- The article was summarized using an artificial intelligence-based language model.
- Due to the nature of the technology, key content in the text may be excluded or different from the facts.
Understanding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) through 5 Questions
An Advisory Body Without Administrative Power Despite Its Name
Obtained Top Secret Clearance but Legal Status is Ambiguous
Abolishing the Department of Education Seems Difficult Due to Congressional Opposition
The Core of Innovation: 6 'Musk Kids' in Their 20s
Musk's $22 Billion Contract Raises Conflict of Interest Concerns
Three million US federal civil servants are trembling. This is because President Donald Trump has embarked on a ruthless government restructuring. The Department of Education is on the verge of being abolished, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is set to lose its independent agency status. Opposing bureaucrats have been mercilessly put on standby.
At the center of this is the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. How far can Musk overhaul the federal government? Let's explore through five questions.
What is DOGE?
According to the White House on the 5th, DOGE was established as an agency within the Executive Office of the President (EOP) by an executive order approved by President Trump on the 20th of last month. Contrary to its name, the Department of Government Efficiency is a temporary organization within the Executive Office of the President, lasting for 18 months. It was created by reorganizing the Digital Service Team, an advisory body within the Executive Office of the President established in 2014.
DOGE is a government organization aimed at maximizing government efficiency and productivity, but it does not possess concrete administrative power as it is a kind of advisory body. However, "the President can instruct agencies to cooperate with DOGE advisors," explained Sai Krishna Prakash, a law professor at the University of Virginia.
What Legal Authority Does It Have?
CEO Musk and DOGE are working as 'Special Government Employees (SGE)', a temporary position that allows them to work for the federal government for 130 days a year. CNN reported that Musk obtained top secret security clearance.
President Trump also granted CEO Musk access to the Treasury Department's core payment system. According to the executive order, each government agency must consult with DOGE to form a DOGE team consisting of four members. The head of the agency must allow access to the agency's records and software systems within legal limits.
However, the ambiguous clause "within legal limits" is causing controversy. When the New York Times reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Besant allowed DOGE officials access to the Treasury's payment system, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) filed a lawsuit, claiming a violation of federal law. President Trump emphasized that "Elon cannot do anything without our approval, and approval will only be given when appropriate," indicating that he directly controls CEO Musk's authority.
Can Departments Actually Be Abolished?
Foreign media evaluated that the controversial 'dismantling of the Department of Education' and other government reorganizations would not be easy even if approved by President Trump. The BBC pointed out that "to abolish a department, 60 out of 100 senators must agree," and "it is unlikely that 7 Democratic senators will agree in addition to the 53 Republicans."
The Washington Post reported that President Trump is considering a plan to 'internally dismantle' the Department of Education. This refers to transferring the Department of Education's authority to other departments and reducing personnel and budget to avoid congressional opposition.
The conservative think tank Heritage Foundation recommended in its 'Project 2025' report last year to transfer the student loan program to the Treasury Department and human rights projects to the Department of Justice. However, the Washington Post predicted that transferring projects would also not be easy, as the US Education Act defines human rights projects as a major responsibility of the Department of Education.
Who Works at DOGE?
The personnel composition, budget, and location of DOGE have not been disclosed. All that is known is that President Trump, when signing the executive order, said, "I will provide offices for Musk and 20 others."
However, it is known that at the center are six young apostles executing CEO Musk's directives. The American tech media Wired reported on the 2nd that "six young men aged 19 to 24, with no government work experience, are playing a key role at DOGE."
The six 'Musk Kids' known to work at DOGE. From left: Gavin Kliger, Xiaotran, Edward Koristin, Luke Parito, Cole Killian, Akash Babba. /=Daily Beast
The main figures are Akash Babba (21), who interned at Palantir; Edward Koristin (19), who worked at Neuralink; Luke Parito (23), a former intern at SpaceX; Cole Killian (24), an employee at the algorithm trading firm Jump Trading; former Twitter employee Gavin Kliger (25); and Xiaotran (22), founder of AI startup EnergizeAI. Most of them either directly attended companies run by CEO Musk or worked under Peter Thiel, who co-founded PayPal with CEO Musk. CEO Musk stated on the 4th that Wired's report was "true."
There is also heated debate over young people who are either attending or have just graduated from college taking on the heavy responsibility of government innovation. Nick Bednar, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, pointed out that "it is very unlikely that they have the expertise in legal or administrative needs surrounding the relevant agencies." On the other hand, conservative education activist Charlie Clark argued, "Wired, which focused on how young college dropouts can change the world, is harassing DOGE employees for being 'too young and inexperienced,'" and "young geniuses with a startup spirit can save this country."
Are There Any Conflict of Interest Concerns?
Since President Trump announced during last year's presidential campaign that he would appoint CEO Musk as the head of DOGE, conflict of interest concerns have been continuously raised.
According to the New York Times, Tesla and SpaceX have signed government contracts totaling $15.4 billion (approximately 22.3 trillion won) over the past decade. The two companies are entangled with numerous regulations related to autonomous driving and rocket launches, involving the Departments of Labor, Defense, and Justice. Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, likened it to "Trump handing Musk the keys to a candy store."
The Guardian pointed out that the reduction of staff at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration could directly impact the investigation into Tesla's Autopilot defects. Senator Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, Massachusetts) criticized, saying, "Musk and a few employees have gained complete access to personal and financial information in the system," and "they are demanding the power to shut down the system for people they don't like." President Trump and CEO Musk have not stated their positions on the conflict of interest controversy.
Reporter Kim In-yeop inside@hankyung.com

Korea Economic Daily

hankyung@bloomingbit.ioThe Korea Economic Daily Global is a digital media where latest news on Korean companies, industries, and financial markets.PiCK News
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