Told to operate like a business but prevented from thriving like one, the Postal Service is the victim of politicians who either wanted it fail or had a remarkable lack of foresight.
According to data from the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), 42 state legislatures reduced their state court budgets between 2008 and 2011. A variety of cutbacks ensued — including staff layoffs, reductions in courthouse hours, and pay cuts for courthouse personnel — and many state judicial systems have consequently slowed down.
When taking into account the growing size of the population, most parts of the federal civilian workforce are effectively much smaller than they were in 1978.
Ideology of unrelenting budget cuts promoted by Republicans from Texas collides with their desire to get federal help for victims of some kinds of disasters.
The way a recent New York Times/CBS News poll framed the issues meant the results invariably stayed within the bounds of a relatively narrow range of policy options, rendering a broader spectrum of policy choices invisible.