Its not just the US either. Meta hired a former British deputy Prime Minister and leader (Nick Clegg) and it happens everywhere.

I think what is needed is restrictions on jobs people can do after leaving public office.

If I have to sign a non-compete agreement in the private sector, it seems very reasonable to have a similar restriction for public employees.

Palantir itself has done a similar thing in the UK by hiring Tom Watson [1].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Watson,_Baron_Watson_of_Wy...

Such rules have to be marketable to people in public office in order to be enacted. One way might be to have a congressional alumni committee with very high salaries and strict rules on donations (this strictness could be sold as a way to prevent alumni officials from competing against the power of active officials).

Even if it cost a few hundred million a year in do nothing salaries, it'd help the integrity of multi trillion dollar budgets.

The British House of Lords sort of used to work this way until the stigma of aristocrats being involved in commercial/social activities faded.

But then the only people who run for office, are independently wealthy and don't need work after they serve. Which is also a class of people who don't represent the people.

This already exists, at least for senior US senate staff. Not sure about actual senators. The restrictions are relatively mild but do exist.

> I think what is needed is restrictions on jobs people can do after leaving public office.

People who have left public office aren't the only concern, either, there are also quite a few disturbing family connections these days.

For example, both of Chuck Schumer's daughters work in "government outreach" and "politics marketing" positions for big tech companies. One works at OpenAI, the other works at Meta. Not illegal, but not a good look and the sort of thing people should be concerned about.

(I'm glad the Democrats trounced the much worse Trump Republicans, but let's not pretend they are beyond reproach).