Presentation short abstract

In this presentation, I draw on in-depth interviews with current and former U.S. federal workers to trace ecologies of resistance within federal agencies. I highlight strategies used inside and outside agencies to navigate political interference, institutional constraints, and uphold democracy.

Presentation long abstract

What happens when far-right authoritarianism infiltrates the very agencies designed to protect public goods and the environment? Upon Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, a deliberate effort to reshape, and in many ways, dismantle key U.S. federal agencies began. Agencies across the board have been impacted, but those working on public health, the environment, humanitarian aid, and disaster response are particularly vulnerable. In March 2025, the Environmental Justice Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was terminated, resulting in the elimination of millions of dollars of funding aimed at alleviating environmental injustices, key research programs, and hundreds of dedicated staff members. Climate science research has also been heavily targeted, including removing climate data websites, cutting funding, and the EPA has shifted to an increasingly de-regulatory environment. Yet, these actions have not occurred without resistance. In this presentation, I draw on in-depth interviews conducted with current and former federal workers to trace ecologies of resistance emerging from within and outside of federal agencies. I describe different mechanisms of resisting far-right authoritarianism, including accounts from those who have stayed with their agency and those who have sought to take their work elsewhere due to political interference. Moving beyond accounts that treat the state as a monolith, I highlight how bureaucrats operate under—and adapt to—significant legal, institutional, financial, and political constraints. Findings expand existing knowledge on how bureaucrats navigate tensions between institutional mandates, political directives, and their own ethical commitments, developing a more nuanced understanding of the possibilities of bureaucratic insurgency and resistance.