Beginning last week and continuing over the next few months, we all have ringside seats as something quite remarkable happens: the organization with the most power on our precious planet is populating its org chart.
Thanks to our President-elect, names are popping into boxes, and, as we've been doing with the work of the Treasury department, we're following along and filling in the ever-expanding picture of the new US administration as it takes shape via OrgScope.
At risk of having to change a name here and there later, we're including everyone who's rumored to be involved, once that rumor is repeated repeatedly, as in the case of our probable new Secretary of State. You'll note that where such names are yet to be formally announced, we've marked them "unofficial."
So far, we've filled out three departments down to at least five levels--Treasury, State, and Defense, which is particularly interesting and deeply complicated (i.e. all of the branches of the military hang off of it). For Treasury and Defense, we've gone even deeper.
To understand what I'm saying, click here to "Run US Gov Map," wait a sec as the OrgScope map loads, then use your mouse to zoom around. Pull a box into the middle of the screen and see what's beneath it expand. To change the view, go to the top of the screen and, from the menu, select whether you want to see it by Organization, Position (for job title), or Person, in which case you'll see some (soon-to-be) familiar faces.
For example, let's start with the Executive Branch, represented by the picture of the White House. Choose Position and up comes President-Elect of the US; choose Person, and who do we see?
Please note also that if you click over to the Treasury Department, you'll once again find yourself swimming in the detail of the economic mess, as previously reported here in Update 4, 3, 2, 1...liftoff!
Why are we doing this? Because it's really important to understand the government - and we have so few tools for being able to do so. Eighth grade social studies/civics class is ancient history for most of us; for those abroad whose lives are so affected by the US government, ours is really arcane. And, classic org charts - meaning wire-and-box charts typically represented department by department - are static, disconnected, and lacking in their ability to represent the big picture.
Which brings me to this point: The terrible situation we're in may have a bright spot. For the first time ever, we are learning how the economy really works. Of course, we wouldn't have chosen to do it this way. Likewise, because we have a new administration that is rolling out very quickly, we have the chance to understand how *it* really works. This is our contribution to that understanding.
