Facebook Follies of Friends and Families

[The Minsky Moment]

Or some other person who actually is defending the "run government like a business" argument that I can't see?

Not you. With the idea that Switzerland in some way encapsulates the idea of running government like a business.  Switzerland runs its government as if it were run by the Swiss, but not like a business. Two different things.

[Barrister]

Or some other person who actually is defending the "run government like a business" argument that I can't see?

Not you. With the idea that Switzerland in some way encapsulates the idea of running government like a business.  Switzerland runs its government as if it were run by the Swiss, but not like a business. Two different things.

But no one here was really saying that...

The thing about "government run like a business" - the thing about any business is it is under competitive pressure.  A badly run business will lose business, and eventually go out of business.

There's no such pressure on government (I mean except in a very war-like and fascistic sense).  So government can definitely tend towards a bloat and inefficiency because of that lack of competitive pressure.  I speak as a civil servant.

That being said however - how on earth do you introduce competition to government?  Go you have the Departments of Agriculture and the Department of Environment duking it out?  Do you have two separate regions competing against each other?  Doesn't seem possible.

[DGuller]

I agree that there are many flaws with making the government run like business.  One flaw I haven't seen mentioned yet is that businesses themselves seem to have a lifecycle, where eventually no matter what business it is, it becomes weighed down with bureaucracy, inertia, and internal politics.  Businesses can die of old age like that and be replaced with new business that are yet to take on the bloat and start dying, but governments are monopolies.

[The Minsky Moment]

It's an age old question . . . but one thing I am sure about.  If you eliminate professionalism from the civil service and undermine the ethical rules, and replace merit-based appointment with cronyism and the spoils system, the result will not be more efficient government.

[crazy canuck]

Why would one want to introduce competition within government? That paradigm is nonsensical and has led to a long list of public policy mistakes. 

Instead the focus should be on how best to create good public policy which directs the actions of the civil service.  And the best way to achieve that is through a professional civil service.

[Barrister]

It's an age old question . . . but one thing I am sure about.  If you eliminate professionalism from the civil service and undermine the ethical rules, and replace merit-based appointment with cronyism and the spoils system, the result will not be more efficient government.

Again Minsky - you seem to be arguing against the Trumpist position, whereas no one here is actually arguing that.

[The Minsky Moment]

Again Minsky - you seem to be arguing against the Trumpist position, whereas no one here is actually arguing that.

I have to argue against someone?  Too high a bar.

[Zanza]

There is competition in governments. Typically at the very top. The electors can pick a new one every four years or so. That's probably more oversight than the shareholders have over company CEOs.

[Norgy]

Or some other person who actually is defending the "run government like a business" argument that I can't see?

Not you. With the idea that Switzerland in some way encapsulates the idea of running government like a business.  Switzerland runs its government as if it were run by the Swiss, but not like a business. Two different things.

I did actually not claim that, but it is the pipe dream of basement-dwelling libertarians here. We've also had an exodus of billionaires, since taxes are low on fortune.

Most of us agree that some services are best run by private enterprise, but that most also need a state hand-out all too often.
I think?

[Crazy_Ivan80]

What sane and decent person would want a country to be run as a business?  It's an asinine question.

I've met several, and they usually point to how well Switzerland works. Where entering a public park costs a fee. 

In their wisdom, the conservatives here privatised railroads and split the old state company into several smaller more specialised ones. Let us just say trains do not run on time in Norway. It has, however, given a lot of CEOs massive bonuses for "performance", the internal revenue services report. Give me boring state run companies any day instead.

our trains don't run on time either. Instead they decided that the trains would run slower so that the delay wasn't a delay anymore.
our trains still don't run on time.
state-run company.

[HVC]

What sane and decent person would want a country to be run as a business?  It's an asinine question.

One headed by a guy with numerous bankruptcies under hi belt, no less.

[Barrister]

What sane and decent person would want a country to be run as a business?  It's an asinine question.

One headed by a guy with numerous bankruptcies under hi belt, no less.

You can understand why Trump doesn't mind debt/bankruptcy - he gets to walk away from it.

Why it would be slightly less beneficial to a country is a different story.

[Savonarola]

What sane and decent person would want a country to be run as a business?  It's an asinine question.

I've met several, and they usually point to how well Switzerland works. Where entering a public park costs a fee. 

In their wisdom, the conservatives here privatised railroads and split the old state company into several smaller more specialised ones. Let us just say trains do not run on time in Norway. It has, however, given a lot of CEOs massive bonuses for "performance", the internal revenue services report. Give me boring state run companies any day instead.

our trains don't run on time either. Instead they decided that the trains would run slower so that the delay wasn't a delay anymore.
our trains still don't run on time.
state-run company.

Could I interest either of you in an Automatic Train Control System?   

 

[HVC]

What sane and decent person would want a country to be run as a business?  It's an asinine question.

I've met several, and they usually point to how well Switzerland works. Where entering a public park costs a fee. 

In their wisdom, the conservatives here privatised railroads and split the old state company into several smaller more specialised ones. Let us just say trains do not run on time in Norway. It has, however, given a lot of CEOs massive bonuses for "performance", the internal revenue services report. Give me boring state run companies any day instead.

our trains don't run on time either. Instead they decided that the trains would run slower so that the delay wasn't a delay anymore.
our trains still don't run on time.
state-run company.

Could I interest either of you in an Automatic Train Control System?   

 

Would make it too difficult for striking workers to delay trains, sorry.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

What sane and decent person would want a country to be run as a business?  It's an asinine question.

I've met several, and they usually point to how well Switzerland works. Where entering a public park costs a fee. 

In their wisdom, the conservatives here privatised railroads and split the old state company into several smaller more specialised ones. Let us just say trains do not run on time in Norway. It has, however, given a lot of CEOs massive bonuses for "performance", the internal revenue services report. Give me boring state run companies any day instead.

our trains don't run on time either. Instead they decided that the trains would run slower so that the delay wasn't a delay anymore.
our trains still don't run on time.
state-run company.

Could I interest either of you in an Automatic Train Control System?   

 

Would make it too difficult for striking workers to delay trains, sorry.

too true