This week marked President Trump's deadline for federal agencies to launch mass firings.

So far, tens of thousands of staff have been forced out. Courts have reversed some of Trump's

moves and upheld others. This has been a source of pride for the president and a nightmare for many

workers. But as Lisa Desjardin reports, it's part of a much older debate over the Federal

Civil Service. The U.S. government is the largest employer in the country with 3 million

civilian workers. They do everything from delivering your mail to keeping our food supply safe,

to producing legions of studies.

To some, that's an American strength.

To others, including President Trump, a bloated system to dismantle.

We are draining the swamp.

It's very simple.

And the days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over.

President Trump's actions are unique in some ways, firing tens of thousands of federal

workers in the first six weeks.

But this debate over the role and size of federal government is nearly as old as this country,

and it is core to how U.S. democracy operates.

There's been an ongoing contest about what the proper size of the federal government is,

what the federal workforce should look like, how big it should be, and in particular, what it should be doing.

Going back to President Andrew Jackson and 1829, who quickly cut 20% of the federal workforce

and hired party loyalists.

Being hired as a federal worker had everything to do with your political orientation

and your loyalty to the party and not much to do with your qualifications or your expertise

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