[gottorf]

> public institutions of enormous importance

A case of the baby getting thrown out with the bathwater, I suppose. And make no mistake: there was enough dirty bathwater to go around.

[lumost]

Every organization is dysfunctional, the only question is whether its more functional than the alternative. This applies to private enterprises (metaverse anyone?) as well as the government.

After 50+ years of budget cuts, what makes us think that the solution is more budget cuts?

[gottorf]

> After 50+ years of budget cuts, what makes us think that the solution is more budget cuts?

What 50+ years of budget cuts? US federal expenditure per capita has been steadily rising for decades, with a gargantuan explosion during Covid and steeply climbing thereafter.

[no_wizard]

The US political establishment, particularly at rhetoric federal level, has become a “whims of the in charge” bureaucracy that can’t fulfill itself to the point that every day Americans feel their impact - positive or negative.

[sorcerer-mar]

Or, like good design, a decent bureaucracy is invisible.

[supplied_demand]

== And make no mistake: there was enough dirty bathwater to go around==

Any evidence to share?

[sorcerer-mar]

Okay, I won't make a mistake if you show me the evidence.

[gottorf]

No, when it comes to spending taxpayer money, the onus is on the one who wants to spend more to show that it would lead to better outcomes. Federal expenditure per capita is nearly $20k/yr now, more than triple what it was 50 years ago in real terms. And that's not counting state and local expenditure. I haven't seen any evidence that if we paid even more, life would be better.

[meepmorp]

obviously, we need to drain the swamp to get rid of the dirty bathwater that we're now dumping there

[kumarvvr]

Some waste is expected in govt. It happens even in private enterprises. That is down to human nature and other factors.

However, where is the critical thinking and debate on what actually the institution does, what can be improved and what can be changed?

Its all become X uses Y billion USD a year, so we have to make ti Y/2 to save the universe.