Q One of the major criticisms of the federal bureaucracy is that it is simply too big. The larger our government is from an organizational standpoint, the more expensive it is to operate it. While a majority of Americans feel that most of the bureaucracy is necessary in order for the American government to operate effectively and efficiently, there some persons in this country that believe that we can streamline our government and eliminate some parts of the government for the purpose of saving money. For instance, many Republican Party candidates running for that party's nomination for President in 2016 proposed abolishing the Department of Education, including Donald Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, and Senator Rand Paul. In a bit of irony, former Texas governor Rick Perry currently serves as Secretary of Energy under President Donald Trump. However, in 2012, when he was running for the Republican Party's nomination for President, he proposed abolishing that very cabinet department. This leads us to the question for this week's discussion board post, which is as follows: Which governmental agency or department can we do without, if any, in order to reduce the costs of operating the government? There is no "right or wrong" answer here; however, it is imperative that you substantiate your commentary. For this assignment, you are to make three posts. Your first, initial post is to be posted by 11:59 pm on Wednesday of this week, and is to be a minimum of 200 words. You are then to make, at minimum, two follow-up posts, responding to the initial posts of two other students of your choice. Each one of these follow-up posts are to be, at minimum, 75 words each, and are to be posted by 11:59 pm on Sunday of this week. A simple "I agree" post or "Good post" post is not sufficient. While it is completely acceptable to agree (or disagree) with another student, it is important to substantiate your position. Remember, you will never be "graded" on your opinions in this course. However, you will be assessed on your effort and if you meet the minimum requirements for these posts. Have fun with these posts! They are designed to simulate discussion as students would have in an actual, physical classroom environment. Please remember to use proper "netiquette" and be considerate and courteous to one another. Abusive language or insults will not be tolerated.