Some see the state as the Prime Minister and elected government. Others think of ministerial staff and advisers. Many picture big government offices or workers like nurses, teachers and police. The truth is, the state is all of these - and more.
This confusion is not just about how people see things. It shows how complex our state really is. We might blame the Prime Minister or Education Minister for what happens in schools. But neither of them actually teaches our children. In fact, they have little direct control over what goes on in classrooms.
Big companies can be complex too. But in the state, it is harder to know who is responsible for what. This is not just an academic problem. It affects how policies are made, carried out and judged.
Our new report aims to explain this complex system. It looks at how the state works (and sometimes does not work). It identifies who does what. And it examines the system they work in.
We explore four main limits on how the state behaves: chain of command, lack of personal stake, information problems and weak accountability. Understanding these is key for anyone wanting to improve our public bodies.
The report challenges both very positive and very negative views of the state. It argues that to make real improvements, we need to understand how our state actually works - not how we wish it did.
By explaining the state clearly, we hope to help people talk about it more usefully. We also want to show ways to run things better. This report offers useful insights for policy makers, state workers, and interested citizens alike.
So, what do you see when you look at the state? Whatever your view, our report invites you to look deeper. We want to help you understand the complex reality behind the image.
Our state affects all our lives, every day. It spends billions of dollars of our money each year. Yet few of us truly understand how it works. This report is a step towards changing that. We encourage you to read it, discuss it, and think about how we can make our state work better for everyone.
Big companies can be complex too. But in the state, it is harder to know who is responsible for what. This is not just an academic problem. It affects how policies are made, carried out and judged.
Our new report aims to explain this complex system. It looks at how the state works (and sometimes does not work). It identifies who does what. And it examines the system they work in.
We explore four main limits on how the state behaves: chain of command, lack of personal stake, information problems and weak accountability. Understanding these is key for anyone wanting to improve our public bodies.
The report challenges both very positive and very negative views of the state. It argues that to make real improvements, we need to understand how our state actually works - not how we wish it did.
By explaining the state clearly, we hope to help people talk about it more usefully. We also want to show ways to run things better. This report offers useful insights for policy makers, state workers, and interested citizens alike.
So, what do you see when you look at the state? Whatever your view, our report invites you to look deeper. We want to help you understand the complex reality behind the image.
Our state affects all our lives, every day. It spends billions of dollars of our money each year. Yet few of us truly understand how it works. This report is a step towards changing that. We encourage you to read it, discuss it, and think about how we can make our state work better for everyone.
Dr Tony Burton's research report, Demystifying the State, was published on 10 September.
Dr Oliver Hartwich is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative think tank. This article was first published HERE.
1 comment:
A controlled corporate juggernaut in lockstep with a worldwide corporate fascist agenda is what I see.
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