Can the Bureaucracy Be Reduced?
I. What methods have been used to reduce the size and the role of the federal bureaucracy? • One method of reducing the bureaucracy is to terminate an agency; however, clientele support has made this option essentially impossible. • Devolution or the downsizing of the federal government by delegating the implementation of programs to state and local governments is controversial, given charges that it promotes a race to the bottom. • Privatization, or turning programs over to private companies who carry out government services under government supervision, is another way to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. However, there is no evidence that privatization saves the government money, as illustrated by the numerous allegations of overcharges by contractors such as Halliburton. • Furthermore, concerns about oversight and rules of engagement for the more than 40,000 private security personnel in Iraq raises troubling national security questions.
