🎧 Audio
📖 Script
President Trump has long held the desire to increase his ability to dismiss federal employees at will. During his first term, he expressed frustration over the difficulty of firing federal workers. Now, a new rule is set to make it significantly easier for him to do so. This rule, known as “Schedule F,” would allow federal employees to be classified in a way that makes them less protected under current civil service laws. This change is controversial because it could lead to a large number of federal employees losing their jobs without the usual procedural protections.
Schedule F is designed to give the President more flexibility in managing the federal workforce. Supporters argue that it will help the government become more efficient by removing underperforming workers. They believe that this will enable the administration to better align the workforce with its policy goals. On the other hand, critics are concerned that this rule could be used to dismiss employees based on political reasons rather than job performance. This could potentially lead to a less stable and more politicized federal workforce.
The impact of this rule could be widespread, affecting thousands of federal workers. With less job security, employees might feel pressured to align with the political views of the administration, fearing dismissal if they do not. This could undermine the non-partisan nature of federal employment, which has traditionally been based on merit rather than political loyalty.
The rule is still in its early stages, and its future implementation is uncertain. However, it has sparked a significant debate about the balance between efficiency and fairness in the federal workforce. As discussions continue, the potential changes could reshape the landscape of federal employment, affecting not only the workers but also the effectiveness of government operations.
📝 Vocabulary
- authority: the power or right to give orders or make decisions（権限）
例文: “The manager has the authority to approve budget changes.”
Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
- central authority
- legal authority
- authority figure
- dismiss: to remove someone from their job（解雇する）
例文: “The company had to dismiss several employees due to budget cuts.”
Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
- dismiss a claim
- dismiss concerns
- dismiss an employee
- controversial: causing disagreement or discussion（議論を呼ぶ）
例文: “The new policy is quite controversial among the staff.”
Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
- controversial issue
- controversial decision
- highly controversial
- procedural: relating to the official or formal way of doing something（手続き上の）
例文: “There are procedural steps to follow before any changes can be made.”
Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
- procedural error
- procedural fairness
- procedural requirement
- align: to arrange things in a straight line or to put in order（整列させる、調整する）
例文: “The company aligned its goals with the new market trends.”
Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
- align with
- align interests
- align goals
✏️ Grammar Point
Present Perfect Tense – “President Trump has long held the desire to increase his ability to dismiss federal employees at will.”
文法の日本語補足を見る
💡 使用場面
現在完了形は、過去と現在が関係している状況を説明する際に使われます。
📝 使用例文
“例: In a business meeting, you might say: ‘If we cut costs now, we can increase our profit margin next quarter.’”
❓ Listening Questions
- True/False: President Trump has always wanted more authority to fire federal employees.
- MCQ: What is “Schedule F” primarily designed to do?
a) Increase federal employee salaries
b) Provide better health benefits
c) Allow easier dismissal of federal workers
d) Improve workplace safety - MCQ: What is a potential negative impact of the new rule?
a) More job opportunities
b) Greater employee satisfaction
c) Increased political influence in hiring and firing
d) Better government efficiency
🔑 Listening Answersを見る
- True
- c) Allow easier dismissal of federal workers
- c) Increased political influence in hiring and firing
📚 Reading Questions
- What is the purpose of Schedule F according to its supporters?
- Why might critics be concerned about the new rule?
- What does the word “non-partisan” mean in the context of the script?
🔑 Reading Answersを見る
🇯🇵 日本語での経済ニュース解説
アメリカのトランプ大統領は、連邦政府の職員を理由を問わず解雇できる権限を強化したいと考えています。この新しいルール「Schedule F」によって、大統領は連邦職員をより簡単に解雇できるようになります。支持者は効率化を期待していますが、批判者は政治的理由で解雇が行われる可能性を懸念しています。このルールの導入は、連邦職員の職場環境や政府の非政治的性質に影響を与える可能性があります。将来的な展開に注目です。
Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/02/06/nx-s1-5704171/trump-fire-federal-employees-schedule-f
