Will Form 8854 Ruling 2023-2024

Louis Lapham, author of "The Wish for Kings: Democracy at Bay," has a chapter called "Versailles on the Potomac." This chapter discusses the splendor of Washington, its magnificence, marble, pretensions, and bureaucratic vastness. Lapham compares Washington to a palace at Versailles, referring to it as a court society and a world unto itself. This society is sometimes called "inside the beltway" and has grown since the end of World War II. The government's expenses have increased, as well as the number of functionaries and people serving the government in various capacities. Lapham notes that there are now around 100,000 lawyers and lobbyists working on different degrees of regulation. The Congress staff has also multiplied to 35,000 members. Lapham describes this as a "vast Versailles-like court," a "Hall of Mirrors," where government servants flatter or blame each other, issue bills, make announcements, and stage pageants. In the chapter, Lapham shares a story about Robert Mossbacher, the former Secretary of Commerce. When Mossbacher first came to Washington, he believed that he deserved more media attention and wanted to increase his self-aggrandizement. He decided to have a private entrance built for himself at the Department of Commerce, separate from the main entrance where the general public entered. The entrance was built at great expense, with a long canopy similar to that of a nightclub or restaurant. Mossbacher also wanted the canopy to match the color of Jim Baker's canopy at the State Department (either blue or red). Only six people were allowed to use this entrance, including Mossbacher, his wife, his secretary, his deputy, his lawyer, and possibly others. However, Mossbacher thought that the area between the entrance and his private elevator still lacked grandeur. He reconstructed the offices inside the Department of Commerce, moving them to create a more open space between...