This is a repeat from 2011 – again, the lure of my son’s Robotics League makes a new post nearly impossible tonight. But it’s still a very important topic, given that a government that does nothing is actually a strategy employed by many politicians today. What does that mean? Consider this a case study.
When is no decision actually a policy? In government it’s often the default position, a deliberate plan to stay the course and keep things the way they are. Bureaucracy has a tendency to be conservative, punting whenever it can and allowing things to stay as they are. But in a time of great change or even crisis, is this acceptable? Increasingly there are signs that Minnesota has become a state mired by diffuse responsibility and an inability for the government to respond to the situation at hand in a way that is effective.
No action can be very dangerous. But there is increasing evidence that it is become a serious problem – and I doubt that Minnesota is alone.