Why Government Should Operate Like a Fast-Food Chain, Not a Court Summons
The author argues that public services should treat citizens as customers, offering efficient, friendly service rather than bureaucratic obstacles.
The column compares the experience of waiting at a government DMV to the smoother service provided by a private contractor using the same software, suggesting that citizens deserve the same efficiency. It expands the argument to include the Kennedy Center, tax filing, press standards, and health policy, asserting that each should be run with the same customer-focused mindset. The author denounces bureaucratic inertia, partisan gerrymandering, and the elevation of non-producers over producers.
He proposes concrete reforms such as term limits, voter identification, and a requirement that officials spend a decade in private industry, the military, or first-responder roles before holding office. The piece concludes that a truly free society treats its people like sovereign customers, not petitioners before an indifferent state.
Why it matters
It highlights how bureaucratic inefficiency and lack of accountability can erode public trust in government.
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