The announcement of plans for a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy is nothing short of audacious, pairing two of the country’s most outspoken entrepreneurs in a bid to reshape the federal bureaucracy.
In initial comments, they lay out a sweeping vision: cut waste, streamline agencies and leverage recent Supreme Court rulings to yank back regulatory overreach.
For skeptics, this may sound like a moonshot. But for reformers, it strikes at a central truth: the federal government is bloated, and Americans are paying the price. DOGE, Musk and Ramaswamy argue, could offer something rare in Washington—a mechanism to actually trim bureaucracy rather than expand it. The plan reflects a deep frustration with government inefficiency and speaks to an ethos many conservatives have long championed.
This is a direct challenge to the administrative state—the vast, unelected bureaucracy that churns out rules often with little oversight. If successful, DOGE could reset the relationship between government and governed by reducing the footprint of the federal government.
At the state level, the potential implications may be profound. If DOGE is effective, many federal responsibilities could shift to the states, requiring Georgia to step up in areas long managed—or mismanaged—by Washington.
Yet, the question looms: Can they deliver?
In this week’s commentary, we look at the skeptics of DOGE, what it would take to be successful and what this means for Georgia. We also have the latest news and analysis from the last week, including:
- Kemp outlines 2025 legislative goals
- Georgia ranks 6th in economic freedom ranking
- State tax revenue up slightly in November
- Report says excessive jury awards costing Georgians
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest
How does our state stack up against others? The annual Economic Freedom of North America report published by Canada’s Fraser Institute attempts to answer that question for each American state, Mexican state and Canadian province. The latest edition was published this past week, and Georgia fares quite well, placing sixth-highest. But while we have improved, other states have improved faster.
TORT REFORM: Gwinnett County slapped hard by Georgia Court of Appeals
Imagine that you own a company, and your company gets sued, but the judge overseeing the trial won’t allow you or your attorneys to say or do much to defend yourselves in court. That’s exactly the position that the Ford Motor Company found itself in in Gwinnett County. The end result was a $1.7 billion verdict against Ford. Legal experts say that, as far as they know, this was the largest ever judgment against a private company in all of Georgia’s history. Last month, the Georgia Court of Appeals remanded that pricey judgment.
Tech services expand access to higher education
At a time when it’s clear that many Americans are dissatisfied with higher education, the Department should be encouraging institutions to seek out fruitful partnerships and new dynamics. Federal efforts to limit these revenue sharing agreements, which have worked for Georgia institutions, should be scrapped.
Georgia Promise Scholarship is coming soon
For many families, their schools are one of the things that makes them grateful—even if the kids may not admit it. Other families may not feel the same way. Maybe their child is struggling. Maybe they’re feeling ignored, or getting unwanted attention from a bully. Maybe their high expectations aren’t being met. Maybe their school just isn’t a good fit. For those families, hope is around the corner.
The election is over. Let’s focus on policy.
We know this past campaign season was particularly intense. But now, in Washington and in Georgia, we need to turn our attention to policy, something that wasn’t always present in the campaign. The Foundation’s Guide to the Issues provides an in-depth look at the biggest issues in Georgia.
The Latest
Economy
Kemp unveils hurricane relief plan, pushes for tort reform and economic growth in Georgia
Gov. Brian Kemp told state lawmakers Tuesday that he plans to present a state relief package for Georgians hard-hit by Hurricane Helene to the General Assembly as soon as it convenes in January. Kemp also told legislators gathered in his hometown of Athens that he intends to introduce legislation to “enact meaningful tort reform in our state for the first time in 20 years.”
State tax revenues up slightly in November
Georgia tax collections rose by 2.3% last month compared with November of last year, the state Department of Revenue reported this week. The revenue agency brought in $2.38 billion in November, an increase of $52.9 million over the same month last year. Individual income tax receipts fell by 8.3% last month, while sales tax collections rose by a healthy 5.9% in November.
Education
Georgia chancellor says protest crackdown attracted out-of-state students
The state higher education system’s tough approach to pro-Palestinian protests has led to a sharp increase in out-of-state applicants seeking to attend Georgia colleges. That’s according to Sonny Perdue, the chancellor of the University System of Georgia, who told lawmakers at the Biennial Institute that the clampdown on protests over the Israel-Hamas war has caught national attention.
The bottom is falling out for U.S. test scores
The release of 2023 scores from the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study—an international assessment measuring fourth and eighth graders in math and science—offers a fresh look at the academic performance of U.S. and international students. The results are grim. The first thing that stood out, and perhaps least surprising: the pandemic harmed student achievement.
Government accountability
Report says excessive jury awards costing Georgians
Court verdicts exceeding $10 million are costing Georgians money and jobs, according to a report issued by the American Tort Reform Association. Georgia ranked fourth in the organization’s “Judicial Hellholes” report, dropping from the top spot only because other states had a larger volume of “abuses.” Awards of $10 million or more, dubbed “nuclear verdicts,” are leading more companies to settle for millions, the report said.
Georgia lawmakers lay groundwork for policy around AI ahead of legislative session
With the rise of artificial intelligence across dozens of industries, the possibilities—both good and bad—seem truly endless. Those possibilities were the subject of two studies that Georgia state lawmakers conducted ahead of the 2025 legislative session where they’re expected to begin crafting policy around the use of AI in many sectors, including K-12 education.
Housing
Wall Street is betting billions on rental homes as ownership slips out of reach
As more millennials enter their prime home-buying years and start families, many find themselves priced out of coveted suburban neighborhoods. A growing number are turning to upscale single-family rentals instead. Developers are eager to capture that demand. At the same time, government regulators are monitoring the influx of institutional investors in the single-family rental market, raising concerns about the potential negative impacts on tenants and the housing supply.
Portman targets Alpharetta office park for major redevelopment
Intown developer Portman Holdings has set sights on Alpharetta for its next large project. Portman is compiling plans to convert an office park about 1.5 miles east of Avalon into a mixed-use district with hundreds of new residences, according to a Development of Regional Impact filing made Monday with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
Bonus
TikTok’s future in jeopardy as U.S. ban looms
TikTok’s future in the U.S. is in serious jeopardy after a federal appeals court rejected its push to overturn a law that could ban the app next month. The popular social media app’s fate now rests in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court and the incoming Trump administration, which has offered tepid support at-best for TikTok in the wake of the election.
Greene’s home swatted again, this time with deadly consequences
A woman died in a wreck with a member of the Rome Police Department’s bomb squad who was responding to a bomb threat at U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s residence on Monday, the congresswoman said. Greene said she was “sick to her stomach” and angry about Monday’s incident.
Trump taps David Perdue as ambassador to China
President Donald Trump nominated former U.S. Sen. David Perdue to serve as U.S. ambassador to China. Before his election to the Senate in 2014, Republican Perdue had significant business experience in the Far East, including China, in his roles as CEO of Dollar General and as a top executive at Reebok and Sara Lee.
Quotes of Note
“Most regulation is just taxation in disguise.” – Vivek Ramaswamy
“It’s important to point out that not all these estimates are statistically significant. However, given how we have seen the same patterns in last year’s PISA scores, and NAEP scores before that, I have no doubt these trends are real, and dire. The floor is falling out on US student performance.” – Nat Malkus
“It really is an exciting time. AI has the ability to help teachers teach. Our job is to set up good guard rails, but to do it in a way that doesn’t stifle any innovation.” – State Rep. Brad Thomas, R-Holly Springs
