Noah Smith has identified a need that’ll make the hair of libertarians to stand on end:
I believe that the U.S. suffers from a distinct lack of state capacity. We’ve outsourced many of our core government functions to nonprofits and consultants, resulting in cost bloat and the waste of taxpayer money. We’ve farmed out environmental regulation to the courts and to private citizens, resulting in paralysis for industry and infrastructure alike. And we’ve left ourselves critically vulnerable to threats like pandemics and — most importantly — war.
It’s time for us to bring back the bureaucrats.
The aim of government is, or should be, to be in service to citizens and provide for the common sense. Corporations and non-profits? Generally, to make money, whether it be to pay investors or pay salaries. This difference in goals will, in many and even most cases, lead to undesired results and side effects.
Best to bring such expertise, as Smith notes, back in-house.
