Unmasking the Administrative State
by Philip Hamburger
Mentioned once across 1 show · first heard Jun 2026 on The Ezra Klein Show.
The general take
Christopher Rufo credits Unmasking the Administrative State as deeply influential to his own thinking, saying it helped him understand the philosophical foundations of modern political problems more than anything else he's read. He calls it his mentor John Marini's work and includes it as the first book from his personal conservative canon.
About
The election of Donald J. Trump to the presidency shocked the political establishment, triggering a wave of hysteria among the bicoastal elite that may never subside. The biggest shockwaves of all, however, were felt not in the progressive parishes of Manhattan or San Francisco, but in the halls of the political elite’s cherished and oft-overlooked center of power―Washington, DC’s sprawling “administrative state”―for President Trump represented an existential threat to its denizens, who came to be known as “swamp creatures.” How did it come to pass that the “draining of the swamp” would become a core aim of the Trump administration, impacting everything from judicial appointments to the federal budget and regulatory policy?
Who said what
Christopher Rufo👍 Recommends
…book recommendations for understanding philosophical underpinnings of modern political dilemma
“Okay, so we're going to do three books from Rufo's personal conservative canon. The first I would recommend is a book by my mentor, John Marini, Claremont Institute scholar called Unmasking the Administrative State, which I think has helped me more than anything understand the deeper philosophical and political underpinnings of our modern dilemma.”
The Ezra Klein Show — Chris Rufo Thinks the Right Can Control This. I Don’t.at 4:05:58
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