Does size of government determine failure or success?
“What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight-it's the size of the fight in the dog” - Dwight D. Eisenhower. There has been public outcry about the size of ministerial berths under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, branding it unprecedented, ever in Ghana’s political hegemony.
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They termed it an overdose or “job for the boys” merely to show gratitude, but not necessarily to do serious government business.
Some citizens have argued that the size so far in the Nana Addo administration could dwindle the national purse. Others have said the size is not material, but the result is.
It is not a chemistry of illusion that both schools of thought may have a tint of realism. Nonetheless, a lean or fat government is not a recipe for good or bad governance. Competence, resilience and vision of a leader with subordinates, and quality of personnel in government determine good governance.
What good is it if a government were lean, reducing wage bill and piling money in the national purse and left at the disposal of corrupt officials who amass wealth at the expense of the taxpayer?
In Strategic Management, Utilitarianism theory, derived from Consequentialist ethics, states that moral judgement is based on the consequences of an action. Whether an action is right or wrong, depends on the question of whether it provides benefits or harm. The theory is known as the "Greatest Good" principle.
The principle says when deciding on a cause of action, choose one that is likely to result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The theory is a clear manifestation that it is not the size of government that matters, but government action whether lean or fat to bring benefits to the greatest number of people and not just a selected few.
In ethical dilemma, organisations frequently make decisions to enable them to make profits and survive. There is a constant search for potential advantage over competitors. However, the advantage they seek may not be embraced by contenders in the ring of bout of ideas.
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Humanity is complex and not robotic in nature and attitude. The human brain works according to the prevailing condition at any given time. The argument that the current New Patroitic Party (NPP) administration promised a lean government during the 2016 electioneering campaign, thus throwing dust in the eyes of the masses by reneging on its promise, is void.
Evaluation and Control play a pivotal role in Strategic Management. It is not an unwholesome digression for the Akufo Addo government to renege on its promise to have the highest number of appointees. Every leader with foresight considers an actual performance result to be monitored so that the actual performance is compared to the expected or desired performance as originally analysed and corrective action implemented.
Such action informs any deviation or differences between the actual and the expected performance when analysed, and corrective action taken to resolve the problem. Based on this stratagem it is significant to go through a new cycle of strategic planning. In most cases, the procedure is simply to modify and reaffirm the strategy that is already in place. That is because a strategic plan generally covers one to five years with annual upgrading.
Ironically, what raises eyebrows is that the Nana Addo government, being accused of having recorded the highest ministerial appointment, has a manifesto that seeks to empathise and sacrifice plight of the citizenry on the altar of free senior high education, tax reduction, selected toll abolishment and free import duty, restoration of teacher and nurse trainee allowances, and job creation such as “One Village, One Dam; One District ,One Factory; One Constituency, One Million Dollars” and other reliefs.
In comparison to the Nana Addo administration, the Mahama-led administration recorded a “small” number of ministerial berths, yet, the erstwhile NDC government imposed taxes on almost all areas of the economy which could have accrued and saved some money in the state coffers. That notwithstanding, teacher and nurse trainee allowances were scrapped, in defence of infrastructural development.
The argument that the Mahama-led administration had a “lean” government as compared to the Nana Addo one, is not a yardstick to measure prudence and judicious use of state resources.
Therefore, judging a government that has assumed political power barely three months, is preemptive. The “end” they say “always justifies the means.”
“It is not the size of the dreamer, it's the size of the dream” - Josh Ryan Evans
As we continue to debate the schools of thought on the size of government, let us focus on Anthony Jay’s words, “You can judge a leader by the size of the problem he tackles. Other people can cope with the waves, it's his job to watch the tide.”
Let us all wait for the tenure of the current administration before we can draw a conclusion as to whether a lean or fat government is material in governing a country.