Almost every day we hear government does this, government does that, and not once do we stop to ask “But who is government?” It feels like government is presented as an intellectually superior organization with an overarching ability to solve communal problems and should not be questioned. Yet, layers upon layers of government agencies and employees are hardly ever evaluated for efficiency, with the validity of budgets only dependent on how much they can tax and borrow.

Sure, criticisms are always forthcoming, mostly along ideological veins, but they’re followed by suggestions of replacing the current government with yet another government without a major restructuring of the inefficient bureaucracy already in place. It’s a new governor with a new posse at the state capitol and nobody is fired at the DMV.

We often hear about government that lacks leadership, when in fact the public is not looking for leaders, but rather efficient administrators of public funds for the benefit of the community that elected them — country, state, city, village — not some person on a horse holding a sword and yelling charge, after leaving the makeup chair with a healthy dose of Estée Lauder 24-hour wear foundation to mask shortcomings.

But who is government? Your neighbors are. Simply look across the street and the people — some with potentially less qualifications than you — are your government. And who are the politicians, also known as the alleged leaders? Your neighbors are. Why would anyone elevate them to rock star status? Is it because they may have better oratory skills? Bad ideas are presented every day in the private sector by eloquent speakers of all stripes — but they’re penalized, not idolized.

It’s incumbent upon the electorate to stop believing that government employees, elected or not, are masters with special knowledge and start to hold them truly accountable at every level. What many politicians and bureaucrats do know is how to navigate the maze of unnecessarily complex laws and regulations — the rules of the game — and how to exploit them for their own benefit. Just like all of us, they’re driven by human self-interest, and will invariably make choices that benefit their livelihoods, first and foremost.

Politics in America are virtually reduced to two visible factions — Democrats and Republicans — and one somewhat invisible, yet extremely influential group that decides elections: Independents. The main difference between the two main parties is that Democrats believe in large government with plenty of social programs and no soldiers, and Republicans believe in small government and a strong defense. Independents fall somewhere in the middle and are swayed mostly by economic circumstances.

Pay close attention to the current pandemic, a still misunderstood ecosystem plot as outlined in “China And The Coronavirus Message,” and how some political maneuvers have absolutely nothing to do with the problem at hand. There’s always a political calculation embedded into every word and action, at times designed to mask their own ineptitude, regardless of ideology.

The larger problem is that plenty of politicians — they’re elected administrators, not leaders — and government employees never worked in the private sector, and never faced the prospect of losing their jobs due to lack of productivity or financial mismanagement. They never had their own money on the line, and often come from academia, another source of mostly theory, cutsey models and no practical knowledge.

So when they propose or vote to extend benefits to illegal aliens or create sanctuary zones, for example, it’s a mindless exercise designed for the political selfie, and they do so without suffering financial or legal consequences, despite “8 U.S. Code § 1324. Bringing in and harboring certain aliens.”

As public debt reaches for the outer limits of the galaxy, we still need to comprehend why government is allowed to remain inefficient, considering that taxpayers abide by a myriad of efficiency measurements every single day of their lives.

Now that we know that the government is virtually next door, we must abandon the concepts of large and small government in favor of efficient government. The problem lies with how we approach government design. Thus, the question is “How much will it cost to provide the basic services that society needs, and nothing more?” Start with a small shopping list that covers the essentials, and there’s no time like the present.

Before someone goes off the deep end with silly ideas about improving social outcomes, let’s stipulate that government efficiency also takes into consideration the historical input/output data and socio-techno-economic achievement of the various racial/ethnic segments. Allocating resources to unproductive groups is a waste, a burden on society, and an exercise in futility by expecting different results. You certainly wouldn’t plant a seed on a rock and then add more water because it failed to germinate.

If you’re looking for examples of measuring sticks, start with affirmative action from a cost-benefit perspective, and then read through “The College Trap And Silly Forced Diversity Ad Nauseam.”

“Nationally, for all schools [black and white], the graduation rate is 60 percent,” Taylor said. “So, no one really is doing a good job.” The graduation rate for HBCUs is only 35 percent, Taylor said.

You get the idea. That’s why Logic is the Enemy of Emotion.

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