Every now and then, when the government gets too corrupt and the bureaucracy too complacent, calls to run government like a business become increasingly strident. But can that be accomplished? Is the role of government to turn a profit, to provide services that businesses can't or won't or to fulfill a role that is both undefined and irreplaceable?
When retaining a lawyer - or any other professional - to work for you or to represent you, you might think you are solving a problem. And though in the great balance of things you are, there is also another kind of problem creeping in: it is what economists call the Principal-Agent problem.