But the idea has established populist roots that spread across party lines, and they are reemerging at this unique political moment. The Stanford economist representing Silicon Valley in Congress sees opportunity to strategically seed regions of the country with pieces of the federal bureaucracy that can benefit them — and that they can benefit. “There is a lot of wisdom outside the Beltway,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, the Silicon Valley Democrat. He wants agencies to more aggressively tap into it, as the Defense Department did when it set up a shop in Silicon Valley. “This reorganization is an exercise in weakening the Department of Interior by driving employees out,” said Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.).

Source: Los Angeles Times December 07, 2017 18:00 UTC