By Matthew Rhodes
For decades, Americans have debated whether their government has grown too large, too intrusive, or simply out of control. But what if this transformation was not an accident—but by design? What if the modern administrative state was built on an imported ideology—one that reshaped the very nature of American governance? The roots of today’s bureaucratic Leviathan can be traced back to 19th-century Germany, where centralized administration, expert-driven governance, and state control over society were not just policies but foundational principles.
Through a combination of mass German immigration, progressive reformers like Woodrow Wilson and Charles Merriam, and a deliberate restructuring of government, the United States gradually abandoned its constitutional framework in favor of a Prussian-style bureaucratic state—one that today operates beyond the control of voters, legislators, or even presidents. How did this happen? And more importantly, can it be reversed?
The modern American administrative state bears striking similarities to Bismarck’s Germany—particularly in the rise of centralized bureaucracy, government-directed society, and the use of unelected officials to maintain power. This transformation did not happen overnight. Instead, it was shaped by key intellectual movements, mass immigration, and the ideological groundwork laid by progressives like Woodrow Wilson, Charles Merriam, and Frederick Winslow Taylor.
The waves of German immigration before, during, and after the Civil War played a major role in shifting America toward a Prussian model of governance. Many of these immigrants brought with them the political philosophies of their homeland—state control, bureaucratic efficiency, and a belief in government as the architect of society. Even before this, Abraham Lincoln relied on German mercenaries to fight for the Union, many of whom were hardened veterans of European conflicts. The cold-blooded military discipline they brought with them also carried into their political philosophy—a belief that order, structure, and hierarchy should be imposed through the state. This same Prussian mindset later shaped the American Civic Service Reform movement, which sought to replace the Jeffersonian model of local governance with a centralized, bureaucratic “expert” class.
Woodrow Wilson was not just a Progressive; he was a chief architect of the Civic Reform movement, pushing for a bureaucratic restructuring of government based on the belief that society should be run by trained administrators rather than elected officials. His famous 1887 essay, “The Study of Administration,” set the foundation for this transformation, arguing that “instead of centralization of power, there is to be wide union with tolerated divisions of prerogative.” This seemingly harmless phrase later became the blueprint for the explosion of federal agencies under the New Deal, permanently placing America in a cycle of dependency, central planning, and regulatory control—all enforced by an unelected administrative state.
The “divisions of prerogative” Wilson referenced are now the more than 500 federal agencies and their state counterparts, operating with little oversight and immense authority. While some in the John Birch Society have overstated the influence of figures like Edward Mandell House, it is clear that Wilson was deeply influenced by intellectuals like Merriam and Taylor—who, like their German counterparts, believed that government should be modeled after scientific principles and run by experts rather than elected leaders.
Like America today, Bismarck’s Germany was built on a system where unelected officials controlled the machinery of government. His use of state-managed capitalism, welfare programs, and a massive bureaucratic class created a system where the government became the primary force directing society. Modern America operates under a similar model, with millions of unelected bureaucrats, agencies, and regulatory bodies running nearly every aspect of life—far beyond the constitutional limits envisioned by the Founders.
The Executive Office of the President (EOP), created by Charles Merriam and other Progressive reformers, functions as an all-encompassing administrative hub, influencing everything from local governance to national industry. The influence of Civic Service Reform and the German bureaucratic mindset can even be seen in science fiction, particularly in the works of Robert Heinlein. His novels often depict societies where government service is a requirement for citizenship, and political power is concentrated in a professional ruling class. While Heinlein’s views were complex, his work reflects the same underlying debate that shaped America’s administrative state: Should government be the servant of the people, or should it be their master?
Between 1887 and 1946, a massive transformation occurred in America: 1887—Wilson laid the groundwork for administrative government with The Study of Administration. 1903—Charles Merriam’s A History of American Political Theories promoted government as an engine for social perfection. 1933–1936—Merriam played a key role in drafting FDR’s New Deal, vastly expanding federal power. 1936—As part of the Brownlow Committee, Merriam helped draft the Reorganization Act of 1939, which created the Executive Office of the President (EOP), turning the Oval Office into a central command hub. 1946—Merriam played a major role in the Administrative Procedures Act, which formalized bureaucratic rule, ensuring permanent government by unelected officials. The result? America today is no longer a constitutional republic in the classical sense.
Instead, it more closely resembles a Prussian bureaucracy, where unelected agencies, bureaucrats, and federal programs shape society outside the control of the electorate. For Progressives like Wilson and Merriam, there is no such thing as an “out-of-control government.” The state exists to shape and guide society, and there are no real limits to its power. If banks fail, bureaucrats and elites remain insulated—just as Bismarck ensured that his ruling class was untouched by economic downturns. Today, Americans who believe in limited government must recognize that they are not simply fighting “big government”—they are up against an entrenched, bureaucratic machine designed from the start to resist accountability. The only way to break free from this cycle of dependency is to reject the Prussian model and return to true constitutional governance, local sovereignty, and self-reliance.