Reagan did more than starve public services. There was an entire cultural moment during that presidency that made working in government low status. It's unsurprising that smart, competent people did not venture into government service, and basic things like "renew my ID/passport" are Kafkaesque endeavors as a result.
It’s become popular to blame things on Raegan, but it’s been 40 years. Come on. My passport renewal this decade was simple. And if you have an emergency it’s not Kafkaesque. See this comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32609897
