[igormilla]

> Balkanization is the fragmentation of a larger region or state into smaller regions or states, which may be hostile or uncooperative with one another. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkanization

Applying this to a government you will have one where you have a lot of separate agencies that are hostile, uncooperative, and don't want to follow any unified standards.

[celticninja]

Which means it is not an accurate description as most agencies are not hostile to one another or uncooperative, its just that they are independent and have (sometimes) competing goals. They have no requirement to work together, but some are realising that there are benefits to doing so.

[toyg]

You can read that sentence in Sir Humphrey Appleby's voice for top comedic effect.

Jim Hacker would have probably replied "So you're telling me they are not playing against each other, except when they are playing against each other...?"