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A government department named after the Dogecoin codename came on the scene with Musk’s chainsaw and the promise of reshaping the United States, but quietly exited early.
The Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE), established on Trump’s first day in office, was quietly disbanded with eight months left in his term.Recently, Scott Cooper, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, publicly confirmed for the first time: “It no longer exists.”
DOGE only lasted 294 days from birth to dissolution. This life cycle is surprisingly similar to the short-lived meme coins in the cryptocurrency market.Its name is directly borrowed from the Dogecoin code, and its official website uses the Shiba Inu pattern.Musk even held a chainsaw to symbolize cutting bureaucracy.Highly symbolic communication strategy, less a government agency than a classic narrative-driven political experiment.
The birth of memetics
On January 20, 2025, the day Trump was sworn in, he signed an executive order to establish the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”). This name seems very familiar to the encryption circle., Musk, a long-time supporter of Dogecoin, has cleverly inserted cryptocurrency memes into the political sphere.
The design of DOGE’s official website is full of crypto cultural elements, including the familiar Dogecoin logo and symbols composed of Shiba Inu patterns.DesignDeconstructing the seriousness of government agencies, breaking the stereotype of the traditional bureaucracy.
Musk’s promotion of the X platform further strengthens this meme quality.A photo of him holding a chainsaw, with the text saying it is a “chainsaw for bureaucracy,” is like a common radical slogan in the cryptocurrency circle.This communication strategy is exactly the same as the one he used to promote Dogecoin.
DOGE’s naming and communication strategy reflects a new approach to political communication,Borrowing internet meme culture, subverting tradition with a sense of humor and trying to win the recognition of the younger generation and Internet natives.
Encrypted operations
The way DOGE operates is a complete departure from the model of a traditional government agency and is more like a Silicon Valley startup.Musk recruited about 50 young people in their 20s. These teams, called “child soldiers,” wore sweatshirts and jeans and looked nothing like traditional government workers.
What the younger team brings isRadical way of working,They relied on Red Bull for energy and rushed to various workplaces every day. In just three weeks, they placed personnel in major federal agencies, controlled the flow of funds, and screened contract projects.
AI technology has become the core tool of DOGE. The team uses AI to carry out basic optimization work, from contract allocation to employee travel reimbursement, all of which are digitally entered..
AI tools quickly analyze resource waste and space that can be optimized. If a government office building is found to be idle, it can quickly cancel the lease, saving US$150 million.
This “move fast and break things”Silicon Valley Spirittriggering intense conflicts in Washington’s political ecology.The DOGE team requires federal employees to submit weekly reports. Those who do not submit will be treated as resigned, and employees are threatened to be placed on administrative leave if they do not work.
The break between narrative and reality
The DOGE department initially set ambitious goals. Musk once claimed to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, and Ramaswamy even proposed to optimize 70% of federal government employees.These numbers are similar to the hyperbole common in the cryptocurrency space, designed to attract attention and generate buzz.
However, reality soon showed its limitations. Although DOGE claimed to have cut expenses by about US$160 billion, this only achieved less than one-fifth of Musk’s previously announced goals.There is a serious disconnect between grand narrative and realistic execution.
Democratic members of the U.S. Senate’s Permanent Panel on Investigations (PSI) released a report stating that DOGE “wasted” more than $21 billion in fiscal funds in six months.
The report pointed out that the suspension of some projects caused huge losses. The freeze of Department of Energy loan projects caused the government to lose approximately US$263 million in interest income; the suspension of the US Agency for International Development caused approximately US$110 million worth of food and medicine to rot in warehouses.
DOGE departmentThe operation method triggered a rebound from many parties,Democratic attorneys general in 14 states sued Musk and Trump, accusing Trump of granting powers to Musk that violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.DOGE faces nearly 20 indictments, including charges of violating the Privacy Act and unauthorized access to sensitive government data.
The end of the White House meme
From a high-profile debut to a quiet exit, DOGE‘s dissolution process stands in stark contrast to its birth.
In May this year, Musk announced his resignation from DOGE and argued with Trump over the “Big and Beautiful” bill.(One Big Beautiful Bill Act)A public break.During the summer, DOGE personnel have gradually evacuated the headquarters, and the guard posts and authorized access signs have disappeared.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Cooper publicly confirmed for the first time this month that DOGE no longer exists and that its functions have been taken over by the Office of Personnel Management.The government-wide hiring freeze that was DOGE’s signature initiative has also ended.
Members of the DOGE team have taken on new roles within the government, with Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia heading up the National Design Studio and Zachary Terrell serving as chief technology officer at the Department of Health and Human Services.This symbolizes DOGE as aExperimental attempt has ended, but some of its ideas are being incorporated into traditional government structures.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis commented on the social platform X, “DOGE fought Swamp, but Swamp won.”This political meme currency experiment ultimately ended with the victory of traditional political structures.
The symbolic economy is penetrating the traditional political field. Although the experiment of the DOGE department ended prematurely, it marks that the deep integration of politics and encryption culture is irreversible.In the future, we may see the emergence of more political institutions and governance models with “crypto-native” characteristics.The key lies in how to combine the innovative spirit of the crypto world with the stability of traditional governance to create a new model that has both symbolic appeal and substantive effectiveness.
Narrative is certainly a powerful tool for building consensus, but narrative separated from technology implementation and value creation is ultimately just a castle in the air.When the popularity of Meme symbols fades, what can really stay in the industry will always be those technologies and projects that solve real problems.
