It is thousands of little kingdoms they all live to survive and they need programs to get funding.
Every kingdom wants to get bigger and get more of the pie.
We like to envision Government as a single organized entity but it is actually hopelessly fractured and disorganized. But as long as the monster is fueled with money it will only get worse and not better.
“fractured and disorganized” is good. A seriously organized government is a scary thought given what Washington said about government. “Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” A better approach would be to eliminate all of those positions not deemed “essential personnel” whenever a snow storm hits DC. Then, start chopping off everything that is duplicative.
The primary goal of the bureaucrat running any government program is to ensure that his program continues to grow, in head count and budget, on a steady basis. Upon finding himself with ‘extra’ money at the end of the fiscal year, he’ll p!$$ it away to ensure that the budgets for following years won’t get cut.
Zero level budgeting at the federal level. We don’t (by default) start off by taking last year’s budget for Agency X, and figuring out if they got too little or need more.
We decide if the program is needed and either fund it or phase it out.
Actually, it turns out there is one agency that is totally organized and extremely efficient....
bttt
We like to envision Government as a single organized entity but it is actually hopelessly fractured and disorganized.
Thank goodness, when one considers that the despotism
and inefficiency of the Nazi government was what saved
as many jews as survived the holocaust.
Get a copy of “The Cunning of History” and learn about it.
http://www.amazon.com/Cunning-History-Richard-L-Rubenstein/dp/0061320684/ref=cm_cr_pr_orig_subj