This is not some dry, academic question, writes Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service. It’s an issue in the upcoming presidential election, with profound consequences for the capability of our government to solve critical problems.

Three years into his term, President Biden is outpacing former President Trump in stocking the federal government with political appointees. But he’s lagging behind his other two predecessors, according to data compiled by the Partnership for Public Service.

It’s hard to imagine a major corporation going without a chief financial officer for any extended period, but this is the stark reality for the federal government,” said Max Stier, president and chief executive officer of the Partnership for Public Service.

Anger over Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blockade of high-ranking military promotions may have hit a boiling point this week, as a handful of fellow Republicans began to publicly pressure the former football coach to spike his nine-month-long stunt.

PBS NewsHour White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López hosts a roundtable discussion with politicians, academics and experts about the growing gulf between the executive and legislative branches as part of the Democracy 360 conference, led by the Miller Center in partnership with the Karsh Center for Democracy at the University of Virginia.