Searching for the Scientific Foundation Under Project 2025

---finding cargo-cult science

Throughout the world, a loose coalition of anti-state libertarians, religious nationalists, and supporters of unabashed executive power has worked to undermine the administrative agencies and legal bodies that make the modern state function (Hanson and Kopstein 2024, p 114).

What is a cargo-cult science? How does science, in general, relate to ideology & theology? And just what is the science, if any, underlying claims in Project 2025 now being used in guiding a drastic makeover --- in effect a regime change --- of the American Economy & Society, Market & Government? 

To make sense of what is going on, and to help in search for what science might be in play, one first needs to see the bigger picture. And, what is that picture? Well, it appears three substantive forces are at work (pointed to in the quote at the top) to change the regime of Market & Government in the US. The forces are represented in the frames of Extreme Libertarianism, Christian Nationalism, and Unitary Executive Theory (after Hanson and Kopstein 2024),  the latter reflecting a belief in an essentially unlimited power of the US Executive Branch.

The Legislative and Judicial Branch are to be set aside, which is counter to what the Framers  of the US Constitution put into play in 1787, the foundation on which the Rule of Law has been built over the last 250 years. It is about replacing the Rule of Law with the Rule of Men, accomplished by an assault on Modern Government, an assault on the professional, competent, dedicated civil servants trained in science and humanities (human science, especially ethics) who are key in ensuring the Rule of Law stays in place (Hanson and Kopstein 2034).  And, said assault, using all three frames and forces just might be based in cargo-cult science, but that is the point of the Blog, to explore just what gives scientific legitimacy or not to the regime change --- the assault on Modern Government, so also an assault on Modern Economy as it is about a joint Market & Government which has made the US the wealthiest nation on the Spaceship Earth --- that is underway.  Just what science underlies the three forces at play, and, is it true science, or is it cargo-cult science?

And, the bottom-line question: If it is cargo-cult science, why would one choose to use it to destroy the wealthiest nation on the Spaceship? Why not rely on fact-content, empirically based, theories-tested by science & humanities (human science) on which the US has relied ever since the country was formed as a Rule of Law place? Historically, starting with the Founders of the Country and the Framers of the Constitution, serious and systematic inquiry using science & humanities (again, human science, especially ethics) has played a significant role, giving content to the Rule of Law. So, why would a country that has been quite successful using science & humanities --- serious inquiry leading to sufficient reason --- suddenly choose to go to cargo-cult science instead?

Cargo-Cult Science Lacks in Empirical Reality and Fails High-Level Theorizing

The notion of cargo-cult science comes from a real-life event on a Pacific Island right after WWII.  As I said it in Lynne (in press), rather than retelling the story again in different form:

“The notion of cargo-cult comes from the story weaved in McCloskey (2021) of the highlanders of New Guinea after World War II, who wanted to keep the flow of enriching cargo that had been experienced during the war.  The highlanders set up coconut-shell lamps along runway-like clearings hoping for the big war planes to come back.  The planes did not come back.  It was in effect a cargo-cult, a system without reality.  McCloskey (2021, p. xi) points out that cargo-cult science is  “… the label the physicist Richard Feynman assigned to projects having the external look of science but that are actually make-believe.” McCloskey (2021, p. xi) claims economics – as we MetaEcon call it, Single Interest Theory (SIT) in Microeconomics - is a cargo-cult science, pointing to shortcomings in both empirical evidence and high-level theorizing.  SIT in Microeconomics is a cargo-cult science about a make-believe Econ, someone pursuing only self-interest without regard for the shared (with the other)-interest.  Lynne (2020) makes the same argument: SIT needs to be transcended with a Humanomics built on a foundation of empirical science & humanities (human science), like Dual Interest Theory (DIT) in Metaeconomics which is about a real Human.” 

It is also the case, then, that SIT focuses all attention on the private interest in the pursuit of private good with little regard for the public interest in the pursuit of public good. It sees only the Econ of Econ 101. In contrast, DIT sees the effort needs to be about striking balance in the joint private & public-interest, self & other (shared)-interest, private & public good, each seen as essential to the other. It sees the Human of MetaEcon 101. Said somewhat differently, SIT sees only the self-interest Econ, while DIT sees the balanced self & other-interest Human.

Is Project 2025 such an endeavor, seeking good balance in the self & other-interest, private & public good, fitting to a Human? If so, it also has scientific credentials. Or, is it instead represented in an ideology & theology without scientific credentials, and based instead in cargo-cult science seeing only the Econ, seeing only the private good?  Is it real, or is it make-believe? Point is, if Project 2025 has little to no experiential or scientific credibility, perhaps it should not be implemented?  

Does the empirical evidence support the DIT based theoretical claims that cargo-cult science is at play in Project 2025? The Technical Analysis using DIT is in the Appendix at end of the Blog, and it suggests it is likely cargo-cult. The following explores the question of empirical evidence based in science.

Project 2025 Details and Counter Resistance in the Courts

While a MetaEcon 101 using DIT transcends the Econ 101 frame using SIT, it does not replace it.  MetaEcon 101 just gives more explanatory power as to what economic (and social) system will likely work the best. And, deciding what is best requires actual data, actual actions in play.  Economists call this the “revealed preference,” the actual actions taken. Revealed preference also comes out of the words and stories --- 900+ pages in the Project 2025 document, and the many outrageous, Big Lie (bordering on brainwashing) claims of the new Trump Administration. The following uses   Project 2025 Tracker   to see what is being revealed in completed, in progress, and not yet started action plans. Also, see NYT for other actions making the news.

To see how each Action is doing, one can also go to the Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions  https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/ . It documents all the ongoing legal challenges and efforts to the Actions in play to keep the Project 2025 effort within the bounds of the Rule of Law, as framed by the Constitution.  Think of path 0M of the larger US community of shared interest, grounded in the US Constitution and literally thousands of laws resting on that Constitution being represented by the Courts.  In DIT terms, the overall results, if the Court holds, will be to tamp down the excesses planned on only path 0G and on only path 0M, bringing the system to a better path 0Z. Project 2025 cannot achieve it unless the Courts reel it in.

Proportion of US Eligible Voters Actually Supporting Project 2025

Also, as an important side, giving context:  To put Project 2025 in perspective, it must be realized that only 31.6-percent of eligible US voters cast a ballot for Trump-Vance, so, at most 31.6-percent would support Project 2025. Yet, it is likely only the true MAGA would support most of it, including Trump-Musk-Vought actions not fitting within the Project 2025 frame (e.g., the ruthlessness, cruelty involved in destroying the lives of thousands of dedicated civil servants), which means only 17-20  percent of eligible US voters so support it. It is not a mandate, and claiming Project 2025 is representing the widely shared other-interest of all Americans is just another kind of cargo-cult claim. It may be even worse, being in the category of an outrageous claim, a key feature of Political Technology used to brainwash the public on the way to taking and keeping power in what evermore looks like a Patrimony.

Details

The list of Completed, In Progress (IP), and Not Started (NS) action items is compiled from: 

https://www.project2025.observer/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIg5sZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHe6lFNj0ZMp_D5r_cfxAfUoW7kRF2JHumq82Gq674zLCFTD9821NMoy8SA_aem_kHKGZfhU0Z3Hk2ug1OiYRA

The detailed list is available here as a separate file, covering the 297- actions on the site as of March 2, 2025.  More will likely be added.

The Commentary added to each Action is framed by Metaeconomics, which has scientific credentials. It has been rigorously tested, so it is not a cargo-cult science. Also, the “flood the zone” approach being used is quite overwhelming, with 297 items in the list. The details list is 20 pages long!  So, the strategy here is pull in a few key items, distinguishing Completed actions from the In Progress and Not Started actions, and assessing the overall plan for each Agency and Commission as to how much of the claim is cargo-cult vs true science.

And, the overall frame of not only Project 2025 as represented in the 297 action items: It is like Project 2025 is really more like a Project 1500, going back to a time of anti-science, ideology & theology integrated under a hierarchical rule of government, as in authoritarian patrimony, the Rule of Men (literally). Enlightenment moved the economic & government system away from the Rule of Men to the Rule of Law, with said law gaining fact content from fact-seeking using the scientific method. It also meant that Government needed competent, science-based professionals who were also committed to that Rule of Law. It is what framed the tremendous Progress, as in the Great Enrichment as McCloskey (2006, 2010, 2016) named it, GDP/capita/day going from in the US at $3 in 1780 around the time the US Constitution was put into place to US at $224 in 2023. So, why does Project 2025 want to risk $224 --> $3? The anti-science tone --- and the return to cargo-cult science based ideology & theology, even going back to integrated church & state (theocracy) of the 297 action items, with Rule of Men, if actually implemented, clearly take the US in a back toward pre-1787 (year of the US Constitution) direction.

Overall Tendencies: Cabinet Agencies

State

The most noticeable actions related to the Department of State are all about isolationism, actions already taken, as in isolating the US from the rest of the countries on the Spaceship Earth. Also, any empathy-with the poor or lower-income countries is now banned. It is cargo-cult science, as empathy-with is a major characteristic of every Human on the Spaceship, as we are all Travelers on the same Spaceship, with the Economy embedded within it. It is in complete denial of science & humanities to believe a Nation can isolate from all other Nations on the same Spaceship, and somehow said isolationism will be good for the Nation. Also, another aspect of the actions for the State: Immigrants are to be greatly reduced in number if allowed at all. Tribal instincts from thousands of years ago are now in vogue.

Also, a theme throughout Project 2025 is represented here in State as in Withdraw from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Sure. Not only isolate the US from the Spaceship-wide scientific conversation, but distance the US from anything scientific as we go back to the 1500s.  

Treasury

Most of the actions are still in the NS (Not Started) stage, but with similar frames as in State.  It is all about isolationism, like withdrawing from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. It is also about dismantling all safeguards built to tamp down the excesses in the banking and financial industries, like in effect eliminating Dodd-Frank, a vestige of The New Deal. Also,  things like privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in play, eliminating any and all concern for the public good. And, naturally, tax T is to drastically reduced, if not eliminated entirely, for higher income groups. IRS is to be cut, so tax fraud can go on without any push back. All progressive taxes are to be eliminated, as well as all estate and gift taxes.  The plague of extreme inequality is considered a good plague. The NS actions are all cargo-cult science based, e.g., cutting the high marginal tax rates which actually stir investment in companies and paying labor higher wages, as wealthy people avoid paying taxes like it is the plague.  So, high marginal tax rates stir economic activity, not cutting same, the latter being cargo-cult science.

Defense

The main actions in the Completed ( C) category relate to the cargo-cult science of only two sexes determined by visual inspection at birth. Not. Gender affirming care has been stopped, with the NS plan to expel all transgender people from the military, and keep all transgender people from enlisting.  Cargo-cult science on when human life begins is also in play, with abortion travel being stopped. In fact, in that such matters also relate to empathy-with the other, all focus on empathy (DEI) is stopped.  And, more on empathy:  People who were unwilling to go into empathy with the other and refused Covid vaccines and other protocols reflecting empathy-with the other to avoid Covid infections are now reinstated.

The NS category is all about isolationism, basically greatly reducing if not outright withdrawing the US from the defense of democracy across the entire Spaceship Earth. The Cybercom observation of autocracies like Putin-Russia was slashed, and Cybercom is no longer to be used to prevent foreign intervention in US elections.  The latter makes sense when the goal is to never lose another (pseudo) election, like in the patrimonies (white man in charge of "the family") Putin-Russia and Orban-Hungary.

Justice (DOJ)

Lot of Completed actions pertaining to the illegal immigrants, like putting pressure on sanctuary states who have any empathy-with immigrants.   Empathy is banned --- Ego is in, Empathy is out --- under Project 2025.  Most disturbing, anti-science post is:  Prohibit the U.S. government from combating the spread of misinformation and disinformation.  Well, yes, when the Executive Branch is a main source of disinformation --- brainwashing the American public --- and misinformation using cargo-cult science, how else would one build an Autocracy.

Another anti-science proposal, in that science makes clear the free press is essential to maintain a small-d democracy:  Rescind AG Garland's policy that limited the Department's ability to subpoena journalists during leak investigations.  Free press entities have also been banned from the White House. So goes the free press, which an Autocracy --- especially the Patrimony version of it --- cannot tolerate. Noone leaks on an Autocracy. Patrimony runs on loyalty, competence optional.

And, the continued actions in the NS category at this point, but on the way, about denying gender and sexuality science:   Enforce the Comstock Act. Criminalizes USPS distribution of abortion materials among other things, and,  "classify educators and public librarians" who discuss "transgender ideology" with minors as "sex offenders."  So, an educator discussing actual empirical, well-documented gender science & humanities (like empathy-based ethics) would now be criminal.  This one is Authoritarian Religious Fundamentalism to the core, and extreme cargo-cult science.

Interior

The overriding character of most of objectives, in the form of NS actions mainly at the current time, is to move away from anything that might help sustain the Spaceship Earth system.  The actions are in complete denial of greenhouse gas science, as vaguely represented in the innocuous notion of climate change, and removing any consideration of same, like ending any Federal nudging or mandating of electric vehicles.  Drill-baby-drill --- no matter if most if not all the substantive deposits under the US have already been drilled and pumped out.  Scientific evidence of how much liquid petroleum is actually yet to be found is of no relevance. Also, destroying grizzly bears, the grey wolf, and other wildlife, like migratory birds is a non-issue. Preserving places with the Antiquities Act, well, repeal it.

It is about developing all the public land oriented to providing for the public good with private land only oriented to the private good. Get ready for expensive homes and resorts in the National Parks, and clear-cutting of any Forest Land just keeping animals alive and providing for outdoor recreation for ordinary people.   Project 2025 denies any role for the public good. 

Rest assured the Endangered Species Act will also be under attack, as Conservatives see no value in the public good.  Such public good comes in the case of Endangered Species from thinking about being in empathy-with said species and what value such species may have to our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Such things do not matter.

USDA

The most prominent objectives and related actions are to reduce any efforts to sustain the productivity of land and water systems used for food production.  The Conservation Reserve Program that set aside land for future use is to be shut down.  USDA is to stop doing any permanent easements on land to set aside for the future. All efforts at building a sustainable food production system is to be stopped. Naïve views --- more cargo-cult science --- on the causes of wild and forest fires are also present, as though it is a simple “cut the weeds” problem, when in fact it is an excess greenhouse gas loading problem.  The objectives and actions are extremely short sighted, and loaded with cargo-cult science.

Intriguingly, and it will not sell well with all the Republican farmers who voted for Trump, the Project 2025 plan is to repeal the federal sugar program and to reduce the premium subsidy on crop insurance. Such actions would be consistent with the cargo-cult science of mainstream economics, which is actually the economic ideology of the Right --- but farmers often overlook such things until as the checks being received from the Government (serving self-interest) get smaller, so, need to watch where it goes.

Other planned actions relate mainly to finding ways to not support low and lower-middle income people like moving a reduced version of the food stamp program over to HHS. That move would eliminate long-standing support from many in agriculture as food stamps helped sell more food, and agriculture was all in. Also, a couple of peculiar actions like weaken regulations on baby formula, and change dietary guidelines are in the list.  Something to watch.

Commerce

Most noticeable objectives and NS action is the continuation of the cargo-cult claim that overloading the atmosphere with greenhouse gases is a non-problem. So, NOAA, which has put attention to that problem is to be broken up mainly because real science is being used. Cargo-cult science must rule. Also, such things as the National Weather Service are to privatized and turned into profit center.  No public good anywhere in NOAA, so such things as hurricane forecasts will now be a private industry matter, the information available only if one has enough money  to subscribe to the service. Also, space exploration is to be turned into space commerce, only to serve the private good. Ironically, SpaceX (Musk)& NASA, private & public, are in joint effort: Project 2025 and DOGE want to take down the public good part. Go figure.

Protections on marine life are to be lessened on the way to eliminated: Sustainability of the Spaceship system is of no accord.  It is the typical “Don’t Look Up” frame of Project 2025, with no concern for the future of the Spaceship system and the economy embedded within it. 

Other intriguing actions pertain to census questions about citizenship in the census, especially eliminate any concern for different kinds of people. And, perhaps the most intriguing one, through the related Commodity Futures Trading Commission:  Reduce regulations on cryptocurrencies.  Trump has one, making millions, with foreign “investors” able to pass money to Trump without oversight.  Makes sense: Autocracies take and keep the money.

Labor

The most noticeable objectives and actions all focus on reducing the capacity for labor to organize into unions and to offer any offset to the power of management and  owners for compensation packages.  Overtime pay is also to be eliminated, which explains why during the Trump campaign it was promised that no taxes would be collected on overtime pay. Makes sense now. Also, the idea is to keep compensation as low as possible, survival wages the best, as in  Limit employee benefits by setting a cap on untaxed benefits that employers can claim as deductions. Sure, makes cargo-cult supported extreme greed is extremely good kind of framing, as in extreme Scroogism, the extreme inequality plague is considered healthy in Project 2025.

Also, all kinds of empathy-with labor considerations are cut, such as in Equal Opportunity Employment frames of reference. For example, one action already completed is to Eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.   That is, eliminate consideration of civil rights. Also, religious fundamentalism can now play, as in  Issue an executive order "protecting religious employers and employees," clarify they may make employment decisions based on religion.  So, if you are a Religious Fundamentalist not willing to deal with scientific reality, pertaining to he science of gender and sexuality, you can deny employment to someone on the LGBTQ spectrum without any recourse. The same notion is represented in the banning of DEI programs --- all empathy tempering arrogance of cargo-cult science--- is banned.

And, as related to denying any need to sustain the Spaceship Earth system, Prohibit employee retirement plans from investing based on ESG (environmental, social, and governance) factors.  Deny all science about the need for sustaining the Spaceship system, and, deny the freedom to choose in the Market to invest in sustaining the Spaceship and certain communities of Travelers (the "them") on that Spaceship.

Health and Human Services (HHS)

The overall frame for the objectives and action is to move away from any form of empathy-with the other, and, ironically, replace same with old bible verses favored in Christian Nationalism.  So, denying the science about the key role of empathy-with (which has a basis in some religions, too, as in Jesus Christ tried to teach people to go into empathy-with the other) in tempering self-interest. Case in point: Defunding the Head Start program.

Also, denying both gender and life science (as to when human life starts) is the prominant feature of HHS actions: Cargo-cult gender (denial that transgender, or others on the LGBTQ spectrum even exist) and life science is being applied, with both the abortion actions like: Reverse prohibitions on healthcare discrimination based on pregnancy (to cover abortion) and Withdraw funding, including 10% of Medicaid funds, from states that require private health insurance plans to cover abortion and   Enforce the Hyde amendment (banning any federal funds from being used for abortions, abortion counseling, etc.).  Even contraception is under attack --- defunding even Planned Parenthood --- again, religious fundamentalism based in cargo-cult science.  Also, empathy-with low-income people is now withdrawn, with the clear attack on the SNAP (food stamp) program.

HHS is now to be largely a theocracy, like in  Restore the Office of the Deputy Director for the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division.  And, it is a theocracy based in Pagan tribalism, not Christianity, in that empathy-with low income people (like eliminate the heat assistance program), LGBTQ people, and especially transgender people. All of the “them” ---are to be shunned and even forced out of the “us” of the Pagan Tribe rather than wrapped into the one body of Christ.

Yet, as is made clear with respect especially to CMS, HHS is now also to be framed by Extreme Libertarianism, in a strange alliance with Christian (Fundamentalism) Nationalism. Low-income people just don’t work hard enough, according to the meritorious Extreme Libertarian. Said cargo-cult science (no empirical evidence) based claimed leads to all manner of disrespect but cruelty leveled at the lower-income people, especially if the same people face medical issues. Also, it has intrigued this MetaEcon --- because the empathy-based ethic is part of the frame --- how the idle rich who inherit millions, sometimes billions (and now wanting the estate tax to be lowered to zero), from grandpa are somehow more meritorious than low-income people working 2-3 jobs to survive? Just asking.

FDA

Intriguingly, FDA has only one action in play, but also reflective of the HHS as a theocracy:  Reverse FDA approval of mifepristone (abortion pill) OR ban telehealth prescriptions and mailing of mifepristone (enforce Comstock Act).  But, this action also puts theocracy into the FDA: Religious Fundamentalism in the new Theocracy to impose religious bible claims on people, even using the Comstock Act claiming the USPS cannot deliver abortion medications.  Cargo-cult science leads to peculiar ideas.

CDC

Again, more HHS theocracy but without empathy (so, again, Pagan not Christian):   Limit the CDC's role to evaluating only health-related costs and benefits of interventions, without considering any social impacts. 

And, the religious fundamentalism comes into play in many forms:   Prohibit stem cell research/use in developing vaccines.   End data collection on gender identity.  Fund studies into the risks and complications of abortion.  Promote fertility awareness–based methods (as opposed to contraception) for "family planning"…. CDC took down websites that contain contraception guidelines.   Cut funds to states that do not provide detailed abortion reports.  The Authoritarian Religious Fundamentalists are in play.

And, to ensure science is held at bay in the new HHS as theocracy:   Split CDC into two agencies, one for data collection and one for policy recommendations.  Makes sense. Policy based on cargo-cult science  would not want data collected using scientific methods to influence policy, which is now to be only ideology and theology based.

NIH

The HHS as theocracy continues with NIH:  Prohibit stem cell research/use.   Ban all scientific progress on Religious Fundamentalist grounds, using bible claims instead.

CMS (Medicare and Medicaid)

The overall frame affecting CMS is the Extreme Libertarianism which as noted is a major feature of Project 2025.  So, things like:  Allow states to control Medicaid by transforming the program into a block grant or imposing per capita caps.  Reduce federal incentives for states to expand Medicaid coverage.   Impose Medicaid work requirements.  Impose time-limits on how long low-income people can receive Medicaid in their lifetime.   Allow states to amend their Medicaid programs without waivers oversight (Christian Fundamentalism is served by State control).  Make Medicare Advantage the default enrollment option. Reinstate private-sector drug price negotiation program (repeal part of the Inflation Reduction Act's Medicare Part D reforms).   

Extreme libertarianism always turns the public good into the private good, with a profit-center for things that can make money, and trashing the rest of the public good. It  is only a matter of time before social security and medicare also come under attack. Extreme libertarianism sees no value in the public good.

Housing and Urban Development

The overriding feature of the objectives and planned actions is to deny that any remnants of “Jim Crow” still remain in the housing market, and any other kind of DEI considerations are also banned. Also, various “get the illegals out” aspects are included, like making it criminal to have “mixed-status (legals and illegals) ” families to live in any federally assisted housing. Also, it appears the plan is to remove any kind of Federal involvement in housing development or pricing.  Market Fundamentalism prevails.

Transportation

Market fundamentalism prevails, as in moving FAA to in effect be privatized. Also, investment in public transit is to be stopped. And, on train safety, one engineer (no longer need 2-people) can run the entire train: No empathy here.  The regularly recurring theme throughout many if not all the objectives and plans is to reduce Federal oversight as well as investment at the State level.  So, Project 2025 sees no Nation-wide shared interest -- which is empathy-with the other based --- at play. 

Energy

The objectives and actions relating to energy are absolutely make-believe without any kind of empirical evidence provided for the plans.  The “drill-baby-drill” frame is just political balderdash, based in cargo-cult science.  The notion of stopping all reasoned progress toward running on more renewable energy sources has no credibility in either experiential reality or science.  Greenhouse gas science is well established, clarifying that the current level of emissions are putting the entire Spaceship system into an arena driving extreme weather events with almost incalculable costs to the economies and societies --- the Travelers --- on the Spaceship Earth. It is a “Don’t Look Up” frame of mind, and, it will cause massive, unnecessary costs to the Economy and Society.  It is cargo-cult science on steroids.

Education

The entire frame underlying Project 2025 is anti-science, the frame going back to pre-Enlightenment, pre-science framing. Education is now to be in ideology and theology, not science. The cargo-cult science of make believe and low-level theory is to prevail.   Also, then, the National shared-interest in ensuring every school and university is using science rather than cargo-cult science is now to be stopped, as the Department of Education is to be disbanded.  It is an amazing move to ideology and theology now brought into education as though it is somehow in the National shared-interest to move away from science.

Specific plans include banning the science based critical race theory, and turning gender ideology into a descriptor of what is actually science based.  That is, claiming the gender is determined by visual inspection at birth is actually the gender ideology, not the science based teaching about the real nature of gender and sexuality. Teaching science is now to be replaced with Religious Fundamentalism, based in cargo-cult science.

Also, the move to make public schools dysfunctional through the “free to choose private schools” using public tax money to pay the tuition to same is against the shared National interest in ensuring students have access to science-based instruction.  Teaching creationism, sex determined by visual inspection, and demanding no empathy-with transgender people is assured by private education.

Defunding and eliminating public education has been a long-standing goal of conservatives, especially the Libertarian Economists like Milton Friedman who called for even closing the public universities. The matter relates also to the cargo-cult based arguments about parental rights in affecting curriculum in schools. The narrow self-interest of a few parents is to be replace the shared other-interest in the community of shared interest as to what role science is to play in the curriculum. Science is losing ground every day.  

Another example:  Privatize the federal student loan portfolio.  Impose Markets on every aspect of life, and, don’t ask if it is what people want.  Authoritarian imposition of the Market is the way of Project 2025.  The overall goal is to turn education into a profit center, heavily influenced by ideology and theology (fundamentalism in both realms), not to educate the Nation using the latest science.

And, related thereto: Stop funding for NPR and PBS.  In effect, make it as difficult as possible for people, young and old,  to find fact-content coming out of science.   No public news entities are allowed, as the media must be controlled by the misinformation and disinformation coming out of ideology and theology framed stories weaving alternative “truth.”  Science counters such nonsense, and, Project 2025 is anti-science, so, there it is.

Veterans Affairs (VA)

To sum up the plans for the VA, keep in mind that “the Don” made clear that soldiers are “suckers and losers.”  Also, “the Don” is having trouble finding the kinds of generals that Hitler had, which was about supporting the Rule of Men, Hitler and the Nazi Party. So, why support the VA, as American Generals want nothing to do with supporting the Rule of Men and have instead taken an oath to support the Rule of Law, the Constitution. It makes no sense to “the Don” --- who evermore appears to want a regime change to the Rule of Men, which means ignoring the Constitution which is about the Rule of Law.

So, some examples of in effect ignoring veterans:  Sunset the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection.   Prevent the VA from covering abortion services.    Outsource more care into private facilities. The latter looks to be the plan, as the word on the street is that VA staff will be cut by 2500 positions, immediately. 

Also, thousands of veterans have lost federal employment, including a disproportionate number of disabled veterans.  Keep in mind “the Don” treats any disabled person with disdain, so mix that with soldiers being suckers and losers, well, here we are.  So, it is what it is, “bonespur Don” goes about doing what is to be done under the Rule of Men.

Homeland Security (DHS)

The objectives and actions focus mainly on illegal immigrants. The frame is the Big Lie Illegal Immigrants (criminals, rapists, insane asylum) National Security and Public Safety Threat, so, the plans are extreme, including being outrightly cruel.  So: Increase use of civil search warrants for workplace raids. …"quickly remove all current members" of the Homeland Security Advisory Committee and replace them. Autocrats --- especially the Rule of Men Patrimonialism Regimes --- need loyalists.

And, further extreme clamp-downs: ICE should be required to "take custody of all aliens with records for felonies...DUIs... and any other crime that is considered a national security or public  ---   Raise the standard for a credible fear of persecution for asylum… declared asylum no longer possible.  :  Create a "single nationwide detention standard" that includes the "flexibility to use large numbers of temporary facilities such as tents" …  administration is reportedly in talks to use shipping containers to house detained immigrants.  Sure. 

It is the way to handle the “them" who are not the "us." And,   Eliminate or significantly reduce the number of visas issued to foreign students from "enemy nations".  You mean, like Canada?

The objectives also go after the shared National interest in dealing with the extreme weather events, caused by cargo-cult science based energy and climate science policy.  So, FEMA is to be reduced in effectiveness, moving all disaster response to the states.  Sure, why not, each State causes their own disaster, Right?

And, then, on Market Fundamentalism again:   Privatize the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program which assures no insurance for anyone. Where is Mar-a-Lago, sitting at sea level, going to get insurance? The simulators show the entire southern 2/3 of the Florida peninsula under water in the not-too-distant future. Cargo-cult science at play, again.

DHS also has historically addressed election interference by foreign powers.  CISA has frozen all of its election security work; many of CISA's misinformation team were put on leave. Dismiss "the entirety" of the CISA Cybersecurity Advisory Committee. Troublesome, in that election security is needed to preserve the Democracy, countering misinformation and disinformation.  Project 2025, running as it does on misinformation if not outright disinformation, using cargo-cult science in support of ideology and theology, so, sure, fully understandable as to why CISA would be shut-down

Overall Tendencies: Independent Agencies and Commissions

Concentrating power in the Executive Branch is the underlying theme of all the objectives and actions with respect to the currently Independent Agencies and Commissions. The frame looks more like Patrimony integrated with Autocracy than it does Democracy, wherein Independence is valued.  Project 2025 wants to concentrate power in “the Don,” as in in Deny SCOTUS ruling (Humphrey's Executor is a SCOTUS case) that limited the president's ability to fire directors of independent agencies.  Absolutely not legal, and, anything that is not legal is also unethical, so such action ensures economic inefficiency.  

Personnel

The objectives and action here say it all, relating to the concentration of power in the Executive:  Reschedule thousands of federal civil service workers, making it easier to fire career civil servants (Schedule F).  Rescind Biden's Executive Order 14003, which revoked Trump's Schedule F order and made it easier to discipline federal employees.   Reduce federal employees' pay and benefits.  Give political appointees the power to personally review and authorize appropriated funding. The goal clearly is to neutralize Modern Government which depends on non-partisan professionals, competent and dedicated to serving the shared (with the other) interest, as represented in producing the public good. 

As “the Don” declared at the political pep rally in front of Congress on March 4, 2025,  and the Complicit Republicans cheered: “the day of the unelected bureaucrat is over.”  In other words, interpreted, the day of  professionals is over. Politically appointed loyalists will henceforth head and staff whatever Agencies --- competence optional --- still remain after the attack on Modern Government is done.

USAID

Ironically, the total dismantling of USAID would still:    Prioritize faith-based organizations (“Christian”). The administration issued a waiver for Samaritan's Purse, an evangelical Christian organization.  So, while claiming USAID is “woke “ (DEI) and is as a result to be disbanded, and then allowing a “Christian” organization to have funding --- what is one missing to not see the hypocrisy of it?  Obviously, USAID is being shut down because of lack of empathy-with the other, while still funding a “Christian” organization, who supposedly would be all about empathy-with?  It can only be reasoned said organization is about Religious Fundamentalism which does not have empathy-with, not recognizing the LGBTQ and transgender people, seeing only visual inspection for determining sex at birth ideology. It also seems to be all about downplaying the role of women in the economy and society, claims all based in cargo-cult science.

EPA

The total disregard for fact-content science is extremely obvious in objectives and actions related to backing off from environmental protection focused on sustaining Spaceship systems. The entirety of the greenhouse gas science and pollution science is to be ignored, including the “drill-baby-drill” notion which has no scientific credibility.  For example, an especially cargo-cult science based action:  Eliminate the use of the social cost of carbon.  Roll back goal of haze reduction (visible air pollution).   Repeal the Global Change Research Act of 1990.  Eliminate the Office of Public Engagement and Environmental Education.   Even education about the need to sustain the Spaceship is to be  stopped.  “Don’t Look Up.”

SBA

The notion that the Trump Administration is for the ordinary people quickly vanishes here:  End cash grants to small businesses (includes disaster aid).  Oh, unless said people are Christian Nationalists:   Allow previously prohibited religious entities to receive SBA loans.  Theocracy in play.

FTC

The old “trust-busting” days are gone:   Consider if the FTC should enforce antitrust "or even continue to exist".  Outsource some of FTC's authorities to state attorneys general. Real aversion to any kind of nation-wide shared (with the other, across state lines) interest is set aside, we might suppose because Robber Barons are much better prepared to buy local legislators.

FEC

Naturally the Project 2025 supporters want nothing to do with campaign financing reform:  Limit campaign finance enforcement.  Raise contribution limits.  Well, yes, the plague of extreme inequality must be maintained.

Federal Reserve

All bounds and safeguards built in to restrain the Robber Barons of the 1870s-1929 during The New Deal Order 1930- still a few pieces left  --- are to be removed: Abolish the Federal Reserve and move to a "free banking" system.  Eliminate the Federal Reserve mission of full employment.  Who would want full employment, when Trump(Hoover)villes will provide much cheaper labor?

FCC

Right-wing media need full reign to brainwash (disinformation) and spread misinformation:  Narrow scope of Section 230.  

And, a curious one, being it is named: Expedite work to support low-earth orbit satellites like StarLink.  We might presume the goal is to ensure Musk remains a  mega-billionaire.

SEC

And, back to protecting the Robber Barons worshiping at the foot of Mount McKinley:  Repeal Dodd-Frank mandated disclosures relating to conflict minerals, mine safety, resource extraction, and CEO pay ratios.  Abolish the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.  All oversight must be eliminated so the Robber Barons can do anything that serves extreme greed, without bounds.

And, again denying greenhouse gas science:  Chairman Mark Uyeda of SEC notified the courts that the SEC will no longer defend the climate-related disclosure rule. Using the cargo-cult science claiming greenhouse gas overloading is not a problem too sustaining the economy which is embedded in the Spaceship: Cargo-cult science to the core.

IC (Intelligence Committee; 18 Federal Agencies )

Not much intelligence in any of the actions:   Prohibit the IC from monitoring "so-called domestic disinformation"...   "prioritize security clearance reform" by streamlining the clearance process.  Already have been giving supposed "temporary" clearances without any background checks.  Sounds like autocracy.  Revoke the security clearances of senior intelligence officials who leak information.  Senior Intelligence Officials must be loyalists in a Patrimonial Autocracy. Eliminate the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis.   Makes sense. Project 2025 wants no analysis that might counter the cargo-cult science in play.

USAGM (U.S. Agency for Global Media)

The New Order coming out of Project 2025, which is very much framed in Patrimonialism would favor:   Cut budget of USAGM. Elon Musk tweeted his support for shutting down USAGM outlets Voice of America and Radio Free Europe.  Dismantle USAGM's journalism "firewall" to align its reporting with the aims of the president.  Autocrats building a Patrimony must control the message, else said Autocrats lose power, as in the Autocrat has no clothes.

Empathy-With the Other --- Broadly Spread, Inclusive --- is Lacking in Project 2025

Looking down through the 297 items, one thing that really catches the MetaEcon eye, is that using cargo-cult economics ignores the fact of the empathy-based path 0M. So, it sees only the Econ not the Human. The list also, then, ignores the key role of the Ethic --- widely shared, and influenced by science and humanities --- which is represented on path 0M in tempering the Incentive on path 0G, bringing the system to economic efficiency on path 0Z.  Project 2025 prefers economic inefficiency.

Also, Project 2025 vacillates between seeing only the Profane path 0G (reflecting Extreme Libertarianism), and plans to impose Authoritarian restrictions to force everyone onto it (like an Authoritarian Market Fundamentalism which is contrary to Extreme Libertarianism), e.g., getting rid of public schools and forcing private (Market) schools on everyone, privatizing the National Weather Service. And, when the Sacred is recognized, it is a pseudo-Sacred imposed through Religious Fundamentalism that fails the test of serious inquiry into both science & humanities (especially empathy-based ethics).

And, it is not only cargo-cult economic science:  Project 2025 is also out of touch with serious and systematic inquiry in the other social sciences, and especially the biological sciences, about sexuality and gender.  It also denies any role for the humanities (human sciences), especially n the realm of ethics. The latter is indicated by banning all reference to empathy-with the other, in the plan to ban woke as represented in DEI. The need to be in empathy-with the other, i.e., woke, aware of the other, demonstrated both in experiential and scientific terms, comes mainly out of the humanities, especially Ethics… so, to deny same, is deny the empirical reality documented in the humanities. Denying rights to LGBTQ and transgender people is especially an application of cargo-cult science.

Details in Project 2025 Suggest it is Better Framed as  Project 1500 for Social and Project 1870 for Economic Issues

Focusing strictly on the self-interest as in SIT is to take the economy and the Market back to the Robber Baron era, represented in The Gilded Age 1870-1929. The Conservatives have tried a version of it again recently, the mini-version of it in The Neoliberal Order 1970-2008 which ironically caused the economic populism and the political economic chaos currently in play, but that is another story.  The symbolic Mount McKinley representing The New Order is actually not new at all, but is going back to an even more perverse form of old Laissez-Faire Economics, a system that has always failed. It failed in 1929. It failed in 2008. And, it will fail everytime it is tried. Why? Well, it is built on a foundation of cargo-cult science, which lacks in empirical substance and fails at high-level theorizing.

But, it is deeper than that, and even more of a problem:  The reference to renaming the tallest mountain in North America which is Denali in Alaska to Mount McKinley is more than just symbolic of a Laissez-faire economy.  It is also the time when the only substantive tax revenue for America was wide-spread tariffs.  As a result, without a funding source, Government was of no consequence, with no power to keep the self-interest of the laissez-faire Robber Barons in bounds, such as in labor safety, financial, and environmental regulations.

The Government also then had inadequate funding to help support ordinary people with such things as social security, unemployment insurance, educational resources for schools and universities, medicare, medicaid, civil and voting rights --- the list is long, and, all under attack with Project 2025. All of that integration of the Market & Government came with The New Deal Order 1930- some pieces still around, but being taken down --- about which Project 2025 is focused on totally dismantling.  It is “justified” using the Market VS Government cargo-cult science way of framing it.

As alluded to earlier, it appears that Project 2025 could well be about forming what Hanson and Kopstein (2024) refer to as a Patrimonialism, with a twist of Autocratic Neofascism giving an even more unpleasant flavor to it. It is about setting aside American Democracy as a project justified by the outrageous claim that it failed, and somehow needs to be made great again? Project 2025 is claimed to be about making America great again, as represented in what is being referred to as The New Order. Now, if Project 2025 was based in science & humanities (human science, especially ethics) rather than cargo-cult science, perhaps that could work. But, because it is not, it will assuredly crash, taking down both Economy & Community, Market & Government --- America will not be great.

So, going back to the Medieval Festivals on the way to the Dark Ages seems to be the goal. Socially and culturally, Project 2025 is all about taking America back to the pre-enlightenment era, anti-science era, so it might better be characterized as Project 1500, the time of Patrimony, the time of the Rule of Men (literally).  It is all about putting women back into the home raising children, even eliminating suffrage, as in one-vote per household, that of the strict father in charge.  Also, any recognition of the science of gender is now to be denied, as only two sexes male and female simplistically determined by visual inspection at birth.  And, as alluded to, on the economic front it is really Project 1870. It will take the Market & Economy back toward the 1780 point on path 0G in Figure 2.

Likely Future Actions Based on the Project 2025 Plan

It is clear from the content of the 297 actions currently in play that a coalition of Extreme Libertarianism, Christian Nationalism, and the notion of a Unitary Executive (another kind of “ism”) is posing a real threat to American Democracy and the economic system that has made America the wealthiest nation on the Spaceship.  The American system runs on the Rule of Law, with the Agencies reflecting it. The Modern American Economy is embedded within a Modern Government, the latter made with professional Federal (as well as State and Local) Agencies making it possible. Market it embedded within the Community: Government representing the shared other-interest.

Said somewhat differently: The Rule of Law reflects that shared other-interest, with Federal Agencies a key part of it, giving context to the Market and ensuring it can work to bring about innovism (innovation). The Agencies reflecting the Rule of Law help ensure ordinary people can have a go at betterment, tested by bringing a widget to testing in the Market and the Community. Project 2025 runs counter to that possibility.

So, Be Aware. Watch the drive to move away from the Rule of Law toward the Rule of Men (literally), and be resistant to it. And, if it gets put in place --- Project 2025 is moving fast, deep, and wide --- do everything possible to undo it. 

References

Hanson, Stephen E. and Kopstein, Jeffrey S.  2024. The Assault on the State:  How the Global Attack on Modern Government Endangers Our Future. Hoboken, NJ: Polity Press.

Lynne, Gary D.  2020. Metaeconomics: Tempering Excessive Greed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Lynne, Gary D.  In press. “Cargo-Cult Economics to Metaeconomics:  Toward a Humanomics with a Theory.  Review of Behavioral Economics.”

McCloskey, Deidre Nansen. 2021. Bettering Humanomics:  A New, and Old, Approach to Economic Science. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

van der Linden, Sander. 2023. Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity. W. W. Norton and Company.

Appendix: Making Technical Sense of Extreme Libertarianism, Christian Nationalism, and Concentrated Executive Power

Making technical sense is made possible with Metaeconomics, drawing on Lynne (2020).  Also, see the Project of Metaeconomics for an overview.  

As a kind of preface, the fact that “the Don” and loyalists represented in Project 2025 are said to be “transactional” is consistent with seeing mainly if not only ego-based self-interest at play in the interaction with the other. It is represented in Single Interest Theory (SIT) in mainstream (Micro)economics as each person pursuing self-interest only on some path 0G in Figure 1. Empirical evidence of being mainly  transactional? Well, the downplaying of empathy-with the other as in banning even the use of terms like diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) --- in effect banning any consideration of empathy-with the other --- puts one on path 0G without regard for the empathy-with path 0M.

The path 0M is brought into play in Dual Interest Theory (DIT) in  Metaeconomics, and makes clear the ego-based self-interest transaction must be tempered by the empathy-based other (shared)-interest in order to achieve economic efficiency on path 0Z. The choice to be only transactional ensures economic inefficiency on path 0G, as the other is not given enough regard. So, using high-level theory that has a solid empirical foundation --- as in DIT, which is actually science based --- the transactional nature of “the Don” and Project 2025 ensures the system cannot achieve economic efficiency.

Extreme Libertarianism is Strictly Transactional

So, where does Extreme Libertarianism play? At best, path 0G is in focus, with an Extreme Libertarian favoring the vertical axis.  An Extreme Libertarian sees  no public good, which means no concern for being in empathy-with the other, which is represented on path 0M. As Extreme Libertarian Elon Musk said it:  “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.” So, it is a weakness to achieve economic efficiency on path 0Z, a path which makes clear the strength of Western civilization IS empathy to temper the ego, bringing path 0Z.

And, in general,  Conservatives are low on empathy and high on ego, a frame that puts little to no value  in the public good. Empirical evidence? Well, Conservatives frame any kind of tax as some kind of disease from which one needs relief, which is also supported in SIT in mainstream Microeconomics. The continuous pressure for “tax relief” makes it clear Conservatives and especially the Libertarians in effect see paying tax T for the public good as in effect paying for a disease. It is Profane (SIT based path 0G toward the vertical axis) to pay taxes that support the public good. 

More empirical evidence: DOGE framed by Extreme Libertarian Elon Musk claims to be finding efficiency. What is it “finding?”  Well, a small amount of fraud and waste, and, then, concludes without sufficient reason, path 0G and vertical axis outcomes that have no public good in same are somehow best.  So DOGE efficiency misses the efficient path 0Z  It follows said ideology --- represented generally in SIT of mainstream economics, not seeing the public good, especially revealed in Extreme Libertarianism --- is inherently built on cargo-cult science.

Christian Nationalism is Inherently Authoritarian

How about the Christian Nationalist?  Well, said person would have a specific path 0M coming out of interpretations of old religious books --- supposedly Sacred --- that favor their narrowly shared (with other Christian Nationalists) interests. And, when mixed with Authoritarianism, which is common in using strict father framing,  said path 0M would be imposed on everyone. For example, the complete ban on even stopping the progression of a recently fertilized egg toward the point of becoming anything akin to a Human is a case in point. Such a claim is about cargo-cult science, as a recently fertilized egg is not a Human (for details, see SCOTUS would have us believe we are eating chicken for breakfast).  Also, taking away rights form LGBTQ people --- and denying the possibility someone is truly transgender, born that way, in the genetics ---  through defining gender by a visual inspection at birth is also cargo-cult science to the core.

Concentrating Power in the Executive Gives a Perverse Form of Libertarianism

Now, how about the Unitary Executive Theory believer? Well, in one sense,  some path 0G is favored, but now that of “the Don” and loyalists, some narrow version of a path 0M favored by said loyalists, like the MAGA.  It is a kind of dark empathy at play in forming the “us” shared other interest, dark empathy because it leaves out the possibility for an Enlightened empathy-with the “them” … as in a good blend of Us&Them, which becomes the We of DIT. Such dark empathy is represented in Authoritarianism, which often has a Neofascist flavor. 

It can also arise in Patrimonialism (after Hanson and Kopstein, 2024), which refers to a kind of strict father in control, not unlike The Boss, The Don, The Godfather. The Godfather in a typical mafia styled organization, but now focused on running the country like a “family” business with loyalists to The Don.  Said “Boss” imposes his path 0M onto everyone, as it is his path 0G.

So, in the other sense, Strongman Executive Power could also be used to impose some path 0M on the other people who have a different sense of what path 0M needs to be.  The current example in the US is the Christian Nationalists impose anti-abortion control over people: The Strongman might go along, and help impose it on others, often done just to gain and keep political power. It is a form of Patrimonialism fueled by religious zealots,  imposed by a Strongman Executive Power, not allowing the search for sufficient reason based in science about the start of human life.

Hanson and Kopstein (2024) point to how Putin-Russia is a Patrimonialism, as well as is Orban-Hungary, Erdogon-Turkey, with the recent movement to same with Milei-Argentina (who is using Project 2025 to guide the new regime change).  It seems Trump-America as in an Authoritarian Patrimony using Project 2025 is on the way, too, “the Don” representing a Patrimonialism (loyalists, competence optional in the Agencies) is taking hold in Trump-America. In the frame of the Unitary Executive, "the Don" chooses the favored path 0M of the loyalists, and it is imposed on everyone else, as in an Authoritarian implementation of Market and Religious Fundamentalism. 

Like the Extreme Libertarians and the Christian Nationalists, the Unitary Executive Theory (Strongman in Charge) guided efforts are also inherently based in cargo-cult science, as path 0Z would never be chosen.  Such a best path 0Z is based in sufficient reason to include wanting economic efficiency, which cannot be achieved in a Unitary Executive Theory based system.  It is low-level theory lacking in empirical credentials, making any claims using it as resting in a truly cargo-cult science.

Irony in the Unholy Alliance of Extreme Libertarians, Christian Nationalists, and Concentrated Executive Power

A certain irony arises in it all. How could Extreme Libertarians (like Elon Musk, Koch Brothers, Theil, Zuckerberg, Bezos, Federalist Society) who favor a path near the vertical axis be joining in a coalition with Chrisitan Nationalists who favor controls of Human choice on some path near the horizontal axis, and both joining with Unitary Executive power people (like Vought, Trump, Vance)?  Well, the answer is made clear in Hanson and Kopstein (2024): All three groups share the common goal of wanting to neutralize, eliminate, and even work to destroy the Administrative State. Why?

Well, there are different reasons, the most prominent coming for Libertarians and Conservatives claiming from a SIT perspective that it is essential to greatly reduce the Administrative State in order to achieve economic efficiency on some path 0G. Well, as DIT makes clear, that is cargo-cult science, because efficiency can only arise on path 0Z, the latter needing the Administrative State to represent the widely  shared other-interest of all Americans.  The latter was largely accomplished in The New Deal Order 1930- few pieces left in the form of social security, medicare, voting and civil rights act --- all of which are under attack.

The Agencies in the Modern Administrative State work to produce and to serve the widely shared interest in the public good represented on many path 0M trajectories.  The Agencies in a Modern Administrative State work at striking balance in the private good on path 0G & public good on path 0M, the balance being appropriate and essential to a complex Modern Economy.

So, because all three entities either deny the public good even exists, like the Extreme Libertarians, and most if not all Conservatives,  or see public good as only the sum of the private good of the favored groups, as represented in the Christian Nationalists or those favored by the Unitary Executive, the loyalists favored by “the Don” --- well, you get the point.  Neutralizing if not outrightly destroying the Administrative State, which is the agreed to goal, is based in cargo-cult science that ensures the system never reaching the economically efficient path 0Z.  It also ensures political economic chaos as people wanting to influence path 0G with the shared other interest in such things as the National Parks, CDC, FDA, USAID, USDA, VA, and EPA --- to list a few --- are denied while the Libertarians and Strongman Power groups focused strictly on their private good deny the public good as having any relevance.