Matisyahu's Blog

Well, it appears that the right wing in the United States are bending over backwards to defend getting rid of the department of educate by claiming that the functions of that functions would be divided amounts amount other departments for example the civil rights division would become part of the DOJ, student loans being taken care of by treasury etc. etc. The problem with this line of thinking is that although it sounds good in theory in practice it is another thing entirely – there is a reason why there are specialised departments (or ministries) because it avoids having a function spread over different departments resulting in a lack of a coherent policy covering all the components of that particular area.

For example, after 9/11 there was a commission and part of the recommendations was the creation of The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and this was because the separate departments were siloed resulting in information now being shared with each other. The lack of sharing of information that may have resulted in being able to disrupt the planning of 9/11 in its early phase was undermined because each department had their silo resulting in each department only having part of the story where as if all those components were bought together a fuller picture could be developed.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was established because its functions were dispersed amongst other departments resulting in a lack of coordination when dealing with organisations that flouted the law. What is the right wing now proposing? well according to this individual their solution is more lawyers and more litigation (link). There is a reason why 50 years ago New Zealand established the ACC but the idea of the US learning from other countries seems to be something that is impossible to do.

Closer to home (New Zealand) before there was the Ministry of Social Development it’s functions were split over Pensions Department, Social Security Department, the Department of Social Welfare, and the Department of Work and Income – the net result? if you were unemployed you went to one department then went across the road to another department to look for a job. The net result of this? rather than having your case worker sort out your unemployment benefit and help you look for a job you had that function split which was hugely inefficient.