[JimPrevor]

When are politicians going to learn that the more things government tries to do, the less likely it is to be effective at any of them? Strong government depends on the ability to execute effectively. Governments that hire daddy czars before the schools are great, the neighborhoods safe, the potholes filled, and the subway runs on time just encourage disdain toward incompetent government. Straining to do so much, it can do nothing at all.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

"Third, they do something almost totally irrelevant, such as hire one person to coordinate with different city agencies in ways that will help fathers or fatherhood or something kind of like that.

In reality, of course, these efforts only distract attention and steal resources from efforts that might actually help -- say, improving the public schools, so more fathers who go to school can graduate, ...."

Quite apart from the question of whether government ought to be trying to help -- what would actually help?

The author makes a suggestion, which may or may not actually help matters. He doesn't tell us where it's worked before.

A "czar" might actually make a difference -- if that's what the government actually wants. A matrix organization is suggested, with the czar responsible for focusing the right efforts on improving fatherhood. If, on the other hand, the "czar" is nothing but a symbolic appointment -- meant to give the appearance of doing something -- then not much will get done, regardless of how the work is organized.