A 28-year-old college dropout, influenced by the conservative libertarian principles of renowned figures like Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley billionaire, and Argentine president Javier Milei, is set to lead a significant overhaul of a notable Washington-based peace-promoting organization. This initiative, called the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE), spearheaded by Elon Musk, is determined to dramatically reduce the size and scope of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). This comes in the wake of a February executive order from former President Donald Trump that sought to minimize the agency’s presence and function as per the legal requirements.
USIP, a national independent nonprofit organization funded by Congress, is known for advocating conflict resolutions internationally. With the Trump administration’s focus on curtailing various foreign assistance programs, a significant shake-up of the institute’s board took place in mid-March. This left a reduced board that ousted CEO George Moose due to differences over DOGE’s occupation of USIP headquarters.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who are part of the remaining board, held the stance that USIP wasn’t directly linked to the executive branch. Following their contention, they moved to unseat Kenneth Jackson, the acting president of USIP. Jackson, previously involved in the downsizing of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and USIP’s chief financial and operating officers found themselves replaced through an undated resolution.
DOGE staff member, Nate Cavanaugh was appointed as the acting president of USIP. Cavanaugh was given the mandate set by Hegseth and Rubio to move USIP’s assets – including real estate, rights and recent endowment assets – to the General Services Administration (GSA). This controversial move was met with immediate challenges.
In a bid to prevent the transfer of its property to the GSA, USIP filed a motion in court, asserting that the dismissal of most of its Washington-based staff and DOGE’s interventions were illegitimate. However, with a prior court ruling leaning towards DOGE by turning down a motion for a temporary restraining order against the group, it might not be surprising if Cavanaugh successfully migrates USIP materials to GSA. It is anticipated that GSA’s new acquisitions would be evaluated to identify potential cutbacks in regard to programs, contracts, and personnel.
DOGE’s unlawful entry into the USIP building was a high point of their feud. In an interaction with the media, George Moose said, ‘The current administration appeared to have an unwavering desire to dismantle what we commonly know as foreign assistance initiatives, and we are part of that portfolio.’
Prior to his college venture, Cavanaugh aspired to be a tech magnate. His stint at the University of Indiana Bloomington lasted a year, after which, he decided to strike out on his own. His first venture was the creation of Guuf, an esports tournament platform that he ultimately sold off.
Cavanaugh didn’t stop there. His entrepreneurial journey saw him co-founding FlowFi, a financial services platform designed to connect small businesses with accounting and tax professionals. His most recent project, Brainbase, provides business owners with artificial intelligence workers to handle various office tasks.
DOGE maintains a primary objective of utilizing generative AI models to automate the responsibilities performed by the civil service employees it’s terminating by the masses. For Cavanaugh, the vision is to promote efficiencies through automation, which is aligned with Elon Musk’s broader strategy for DOGE.
In a vein that mirrors Thiel and Milei, Cavanaugh has voiced his support for hiring based solely on merit as opposed to considerations relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. He shared a link to meritocracy.com, a site that documents viewpoints in support of hiring only based on qualified competence.
Cavanaugh’s ideological influences are clear. Figures like Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and a professed venture capitalist, and Argentine president Milei serve as his guiding lights. These infuences shape his approach to technology, government efficiency and the pursuit of strict meritocracy.
Despite the controversy surrounding DOGE’s tactics and objectives, the mandate it carries is part of a larger discourse on minimizing government and heightening efficiency. While some observers may critique the approach as bullish, proponents would argue it’s a necessary step towards a leaner, more technology-centric administration.
While it remains to be seen if the radical overhaul of organizations like the USIP will result in the promised efficiency, the reshuffling represents a significant turning point in the administration’s approach to foreign assistance. The scenario brings to the fore essential questions about the balance between cutting costs, automating civil services, and preserving the core functions of organizations dedicated to peace and conflict resolution.
Like many pivotal changes, this shift is not without its critics. Concerns over the legality of such drastic measures coupled with questions about how the changes will impact organizational efficacy are rife. Nevertheless, figures like Cavanaugh remain resolute and stand at the forefront of these transformational changes, guided by the belief in the merger of government efficiency and technological advancement.
As the world watches this historic transformation unfold, the outcome of DOGE’s restructuring efforts, as led by Nate Cavanaugh, will be closely studied. In many ways, it serves as a testbed for how future administrations might approach deployment of emerging technologies within the government machinery and the restructuring of existing organizational tenets. After all, the roles of modern institutions and the concept of foreign assistance are being redrafted to keep pace with an evolving geopolitical landscape.