Ideas

Americans Are Afraid of Authority

But a government that works is one that lets people use their judgment.

First published in The Atlantic on January 10, 2026.

by Philip K. Howard, The Atlantic

January 15, 2026 | reading time: 7 Min.

In November 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civil Works Administration to give jobs to the unemployed, and put his adviser Harry Hopkins in charge. The following week, Hopkins met with governors and mayors to ask for proposals. A few days later, he approved 122 projects, then another 109, and so forth.