3 ms·
The answer to questions of the type "Why are governments so bad/inefficient/wasteful/slow/etc.?" is always the same: Because they have no incentive to do better
by p-e-w 3y ago
The answer to questions of the type "Why are governments so bad/inefficient/wasteful/slow/etc.?" is always the same: Because they have no incentive to do better.
When you are literally the one who makes the rules by which the game is played, it's insane for others to expect you to make a genuine effort. Apart from the (infrequent) elections, which provide at best a very weak control mechanism, governments are free to do as they please, with almost zero external pressures, while also being able to tell all other players what to do. The results are completely predictable, and indeed unavoidable unless the framework were altered radically.
- Barrin92 3y ago>with almost zero external pressures a lot of government action happens in the context of competition between nation states with stakes that can be much more intense than in the private market. That's how you got the Meiji Restoration, The Prussian education system that's now everywhere, lots of fancy tech during the Cold War, and much of China's gains during the last 30 years. Much off the innovation in the US is government driven, military technological superiority. The Silicon Valley far from being some sort of private market Mecca has its roots in the defense sector.
- nickpp 3y agoWhen a government is a regular client (even if one with a very fat wallet and lots of requirements), it is the private free market that researches and develops the solutions and products, not the client.
- hooverd 3y agoWe also don't allow your government to develop competencies. All those examples of government failures in tech are failures of private sector consultants because we're allergic to allowing the government to develop in-house expertise.
- magicalhippo 3y agoHere in Norway our IRS has long had very good web pages, including ability to edit you tax return (pre-filled), unlike most other agencies. Turns out they do most development in-house. Most other use consultants, both for project planning, management and development. Go figure.
- kortilla 3y agoNothing stops the government from developing competencies. The problem is we systematically don’t reward competence or punish incompetence. There are many bright people in government but they spin their wheels waiting in line for purely seniority based promotions and pay raises. Then they eventually report to an idiot who doesn’t want them rocking the boat and they die inside or leave.
- hooverd 3y agoIf you're paid better working in the private sector selling your experience back that sounds like a big factor in why we wouldn't keep experience in house.
- WalterBright 3y agoWhy hasn't Soviet technology dominated? There were no private sector consultants there mucking up the works.
- hooverd 3y agoFor one, not doing everything through a web of public private partnerships isn't the same as central planning.