Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Federal workers say they're proud of their work but would also go elsewhere

Federal employees sound off

Federal employees have been battered by government shutdowns and abuse from elected officials. A new survey finds them still proud of what they do but willing to leave government service.

wildpixel/Getty Images
While federal workers are proud of what they do, nearly half would leave if they could get a similar job elsewhere, according to a wide-ranging survey of government employees released last week.

The survey comes at a critical time for the federal workforce, which is aging rapidly. Federal workers older than 60 outnumber those younger than 30 by nearly two to one, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Job satisfaction and retention are central indicators that the people who actually operate American democracy have some confidence it's functioning as intended.


The new survey, by Eagle Hill Consulting, was conducted online in May and June. It echoes a survey of federal employee attitudes published by OPM last month that found a similar contrast between forms of job satisfaction: 90 percent told the government personnel agency they view the work they do as important, but less than half said they are satisfied with the policies and practices of their senior leaders.

The new survey found a variety of examples of dissatisfaction by the 2.1 million civilian federal employees and the 1.4 million active military workers. Among the findings:

  • Three-fourths say their organization has core values but only 55 percent say the organization's policies align with those values.
  • Only 61 percent of federal workers trust their direct supervisor, and a slightly higher share of employees distrust top leaders in their organization (40 percent) than trust them (38 percent). This stands in contrast with a national survey of private sector employees by Eagle Hill that found 58 percent trust their executive leadership.

In a report containing the poll results, the consulting firm argues for improving the culture of the federal workplace. "A strong culture is key to developing and retaining an engaged, productive workforce," the report states.

Read More

Tariff ‘Mission Accomplished’ Hype Is Just That

In an aerial view, a container ship arrives at the Port of Oakland on Aug. 1, 2025, in Oakland, California.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/TNS

Tariff ‘Mission Accomplished’ Hype Is Just That

On May 1, 2003, George W. Bush announced, “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended.” He was standing below a giant banner that read, “Mission Accomplished.” At the risk of inviting charges of understatement, subsequent events didn’t cooperate. But it took a while for that to be widely accepted.

We’re in a similar place when it comes to President Trump’s experiment with a new global trading order.

Keep ReadingShow less
To Trump, ‘Truth’ Is Only What He Wants It Be

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures while answering questions from reporters as he tours the roof of the West Wing of the White House on Aug. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

To Trump, ‘Truth’ Is Only What He Wants It Be

You know the old philosophical question: “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

Well, in President Trump’s America, the answer would depend on whether or not he wanted it to.

Keep ReadingShow less
When Politicians Draw Their Own Victories: Why and How To End Gerrymandering

Alyssa West from Austin holds up a sign during the Fight the Trump Takeover rally at the Texas Capitol on Saturday, August. 16, 2025.

(Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)

When Politicians Draw Their Own Victories: Why and How To End Gerrymandering

From MAGA Republicans to progressive Democrats to those of us in the middle, Americans want real change – and they’re tired of politics as usual. They’re craving authenticity, real reform, and an end to the status quo. More and more, voters seem to be embracing disruption over the empty promises of establishment politicians, who too often live by the creed that “one bad idea deserves a bigger one.” Just look at how both parties are handling gerrymandering in Texas and California, and it’s difficult to see it as anything other than both parties trying to rig elections in their favor.

Instead of fixing the system, politicians are fueling a turbocharged redistricting arms race ahead of high-stakes midterm 2026 elections that will determine control of the U.S. Congress. In Texas, Republicans just redrew congressional lines, likely guaranteeing five new Republican seats, which has sparked Democratic strongholds like California and New York to threaten their own gerrymandered counterattacks.

Keep ReadingShow less