Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site mhuxt.UUCP Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxt!js2j From: js2j@mhuxt.UUCP (sonntag) Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Re: Experimentation and Danger Message-ID: <1275@mhuxt.UUCP> Date: Tue, 12-Nov-85 13:17:15 EST Article-I.D.: mhuxt.1275 Posted: Tue Nov 12 13:17:15 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 13-Nov-85 21:42:37 EST References: <28200239@inmet.UUCP> <344@pedsgd.UUCP> <783@mmintl.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 33 > >- Every citizen should recieve an accounting statement every year stating >> which laws where passed, who voted for and against them, which ones expired, > > how much tax he had paid, where it went, what the value of services he > > recieved in return, etc. Admittedly, some of these would have to be > > estimates, but the idea is to provide the citizen with enough information > > to decide if he is getting screwed, and who to blame if he is. The press > > currently does an inadequate job reporting these things because it > > doesnt sell many papers, but could probably do a great job of exposing > > fraud or inaccuracy in the estimates, which does. > > I'm afraid this would just produce a new government beaurocracy, which I > don't think would justify its costs. > > Frank Adams ihpn4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka It wouldn't take nearly as large a beaurocracy to keep track of one government as it does to keep track of 200 million citizens, but we already support several types of the latter kind of beaurocracy. I think the cost of setting up this program would be more than offset by the increased efficiency of a government which *knew* it was under constant scrutiny by its citizens. Imagine a citizen receiving his report: "What!? X% of my taxes were used to keep the price of milk high? And my congressman voted *for* that!? And he didn't bother to vote on many of these other issues!? That's the last time they get *my* vote!" Currently it is *very* difficult for the average citizen to get this kind of feedback from their government. Feedback is used extensively in most complicated, high-performing systems to improve performance. Since our system of government includes very little in the way of feedback it's not suprising that 'government' has become almost synonymous with 'inefficient'. -- Jeff Sonntag ihnp4!mhuxt!js2j