Deregulation and Privatization

Among the more popular reform proposals today is the privatization of bureaucracy and the deregulation of industry. The premise behind these proposals is that “most people do not like working in an environment in which every action is second guessed, every initiative viewed with suspicion, and every controversial decision denounced as malfeasance” (Wilson, 369). Although this account of bureaucracy is, one would hope, an exaggeration of the working conditions within executive branch departments and agencies, interjecting the profit motive and easing many of the complex rules that guide bureaucratic behavior is perceived by many as the “answer” to the problems of governmental administration. However, with such reforms would come serious trade-offs, primarily in the form of lost accountability and control over the bureaucracy.