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In representative forms of government, the government tends to reflect what constitutes its base, the people. Who would place an inept government into office or let one remain but an inept population?
Although I happen to think the largest part of its ineptitude stems from the fact that our federal government is bloated, top heavy and inefficient. I look to the world around me and whether it is a biological system, a mechanical system, or mathematical system, whatever...efficiency is usually more prevalent in simple things than complex ones.
In general terms,do you think the agencies and departments of the federal government perform well and are run smoothly?
Or is there a lot of wasted money, bureaucratic red tape and ineptitude?
Governments are inefficient and wasteful all across the world. I think that the U.S. federal government runs smoothly, compared to other countries. Often, you have a choice between inefficient red tape or efficient corruption. A lot of the silly rules and hoops that federal employees jump through are security and integrity measures.
I think leadership is a big problem in government. As a leader in a government organization, you are often in a lose - lose situation. If you do a great job, nobody notices; if you do a bad job, you get fired. Because of this, there is rarely an incentive to take a risk or make a change, which is why government is so slow to change. Just my $0.02.
Government is fine, and the only reasonable way, to fight a war---or build a long-distance interstate freeway--to regulate foreign affairs---or to oversee interstate commerce.
Government is AWFUL, and not a good choice at all, when it comes to providing social services, education, and "legislating morality", (such as all sort of 'social engineering', etc). In these cases it's impossible to control the massive waste, duplication of efforts, and the bloated "overkill" of any government program. Most of this stuff could probably be better done by closely-supervised private-industry contractors, overseen by government 'watchdogs', but with their own incentive to keep costs down...
An example would be the "private" corrections industry. Totally unthinkable just a few years ago, "Corrections" contractors, who run small or large jails for an agreed-upon yearly cost, are now a growing industry---and apparently doing well. In some respects, it's not a great deal different from running a hospital. Costs per inmate are WAY down, yet complaints about mistreatment don't seem any worse than before.....at least that's my understanding.
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