I worked for the Federal Government for 25 years, from 1970-96, doing intelligence and investigative and personnel work. Because of the Civil Service Act of 1883 and the Hatch Act of 1939, the federal bureaucracy was largely independent from political influence. I suppose there were some drawbacks to this, because this independence could also make an elitist bureaucracy unresponsive to the "will of the people," as conveyed through Congress. There were a lot of good things about this independence, however, and many government employees showed real expertise and dedication and integrity.
Congress passed the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, and government changed. The Reagan Administration took advantage of this act in the 1980's, and placed political commissars in all of the regional offices of all of the agencies, to ensure that the agencies carried out the wishes of the politicians. There always had been political appointees heading every agency, but the Civil Service Reform Act led to a large influx of political appointees who were not subject to the scrutiny of Senate confirmation.
So, the bureucracy became more subject to the "will of the politicians people." The balance was tipped away from the judgment of the experts doing the job, and toward the priorities of the politicians calling the shots. This tended to be a dangerous thing in intelligence and enforcement agencies.
So, you have a government that does the wishes of the politicians. I think you can blame the recent intelligence blunders and coverups on the political commissars, not on the experts who actually do the work.