Hannah Rosen

Some of that was thanks to universities.

They were shifting from being more or less finishing schools for aristocrats to places that produce scientists, engineers, and other professionals.

And this expertise made its way to D.C.

Soldner exemplifies the federal government in its most elemental form.

She spent years regulating products that Americans use and consume every day.

When you think of regulations, you think of someone behind a desk in D.C.

But that is the wrong image for Soldner and her work.

In April, Paula accepted the Trump administration's offer of early retirement.

Many of her colleagues did the same.

Frank, you talked about the early evolution of the federal workforce after the Civil War, turning away from the patronage system, hiring experts, regulating drugs and keeping things safe.

So that was the beginning of the modern federal government.

What was its heyday?

What was the peak of its growth?

When people think of the federal government at its most ambitious, they often think of the Apollo program.

This is Eric Green.

Green's work is often referred to as the Human Genome Project.

The project's version of the moon landing happened in April 2003, with the first nearly complete sequence declared finished.

On March 17th, the Trump administration forced Green from his job.

The first of five NIH institute directors it removed.

A health and human services official told The Atlantic that, quote, "...under a new administration, we have the right to remove individuals who do not align with the agency's priorities."