Government’s Role

To the Editor:

Purportedly, Elon Musk’s business and consulting expertise can increase the federal government’s (all three branches) ability to efficiently serve the public interest, thus the E in Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The essential question is whether government does more harm than good, or more good than harm. Musk has substantial expertise in building companies, solving engineering problems, and benefitting from government contracts. But does business, free enterprise, and effective government operate on the same principles and assumptions? If not, and differences matter, then Musk’s expertise may be irrelevant, even counterproductive, to improving government effectiveness, a better E in DOGE.

Government operates on different assumptions, values, and desired outcomes than free enterprise does. Abraham Lincoln wisely observed: “The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done but cannot do at all, or cannot so well do for themselves in their separate and individual capacities.” Government and business operate for quite different purposes and rationale for success. Businesses solve problems in their self-interest; government solves problems in the public interest, including assuring that business practices are not corrupt and fraudulent. Can the purpose and value of government be assessed through the metric of efficiency without warping the values of societal good? Hitler created an enormously efficient system of killing people; so did Stalin. Other despots have done so as well. Government and free enterprise deal with risk and its management to achieve desired outcomes. A farmer buys fertilizer on the assumption that it will increase crop yield. The farmer takes many risks, for instance, the sale of goods will not cover the cost of fuel and fertilizer, and rain will not nourish crops. A drought is a risk to be managed. Animals can get sick. Farmers will produce so much that market saturation hammers profit-cost margins. Markets fail to materialize. Contracts get cancelled.

Businesses deal primarily with material capital; government deals in social capital. Government saves infants’ lives, tends the elderly, supports veterans, builds roads and bridges, supports public education, promotes public health and safety, saves capitalism from itself by staunching runaway greed, and on and on. If it does so at as little cost as possible, is that not productive? That kind of risk management effectiveness is vital to the soul of a great nation. Values, moral judgment, compassion, practicality, productivity: What is the value of a life, a child’s health and future? The Social Security Administration provides retirement assistance at an administrative cost (0.5% overhead) lower than private annuities. Can rural hospitals and nursing homes be kept open without government support? These are process and outcome measures of governmental success.

Government does not operate on an efficiency metric that presumes that some legislated activity is inefficient and wasteful if it saves lives, makes lives better, eases suffering. “We the people” want government to make lives better in ways that are productively cost effective.