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The article seems to present the notion that the fundamental measure of efficiency is the administrative quotient viz. the ratio of the number of staff to overa
by inopinatus 2y ago
The article seems to present the notion that the fundamental measure of efficiency is the administrative quotient viz. the ratio of the number of staff to overall spending.
It follows that the simplest way to improve efficiency is to increase spending whilst keeping headcount the same.
- jeffbee 2y agoIf so, the American federal government is the most efficient in the world, with no serious competition.
- TheNewsIsHere 2y agoIn some respects it is, and others it is not. There are endless anecdotal examples in both directions. American federal government institutions are expected to operate at immense scale while protecting and preserving the rights of the people who have business before it. There’s a certain amount of important inefficiency that this demands. Maintaining humans in the loop is one such thing that some in the tech circles think inefficient, but our government is designed to be by and of the people, for the people, so there’s a strong case to maintain people in the loop. On the flip side, our laws allow inefficiencies to be introduced at the demand of private parties. Lobbyists have done a fantastic job at curtailing certain kinds of efficiency reforms at the IRS for decades because it served private interests. That is only recently changing, and only for specific populations.