The Stereotype: Government as Bungling and Inept
Many of us have bought into this image of government as a bungler – a bunch of bureaucrats that can’t do anything right. Ask most Americans and they will tell you: if you want something messed up, have the government do it. We’ve all heard the jokes:
Q: How many government bureaucrats does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Two. One to assure everyone that everything possible is being done while the other screws the bulb into the water faucet.
Q: How many government workers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Two. One to screw it in and one to screw it up.
This popular view of government as a low-achieving screw-up is echoed in many surveys as well. When asked, “When the government in Washington decides to solve a problem, how much confidence do you have that the problem will be solved?” only four percent of Americans said “a lot.” Sixty-four percent said “none at all” or “just a little.” Of these, more than a three out of four said the reason was “government is incompetent” not that “those problems are often difficult to solve.” Surveys also show that a large majority of citizens (70%) believe that “government creates more problems than it solves
Q: How many government bureaucrats does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Two. One to assure everyone that everything possible is being done while the other screws the bulb into the water faucet.
Q: How many government workers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Two. One to screw it in and one to screw it up.
This popular view of government as a low-achieving screw-up is echoed in many surveys as well. When asked, “When the government in Washington decides to solve a problem, how much confidence do you have that the problem will be solved?” only four percent of Americans said “a lot.” Sixty-four percent said “none at all” or “just a little.” Of these, more than a three out of four said the reason was “government is incompetent” not that “those problems are often difficult to solve.” Surveys also show that a large majority of citizens (70%) believe that “government creates more problems than it solves
Respond to the following prompt:In what ways does government effect your life? Do you think we need government to function? |
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