Organizations - all of them, not just the government - have patterns that are almost organic.
That is, one of the first things people do is try to expand their bureaucratic empire.
And organizations that were started with a clear goal and purpose don't generally stand down when they've reached that goal. Too many people are invested in the organization itself, so they generally start looking for a new raison d'etre.
Upper echelons also have a tendency to react to something by showing action - any action. Not necessarily the smartest action, but it proves they're doing something and can soothe people's worries.
There's also a tendency to reach for the quickest and easiest answer, but not necessarily the best.
So when I say that I, personally, had hoped conservatives would act like 'pruning shears', it was in the Russell Kirk sense. Not of trying to obstruct and block legislation, but in raising concerns that can lead to better, more thoughtful legislation that is reconciled with our traditions and values. In particular empowering the lowest level of government possible rather than mindlessly building a more centralized system. (The Constitution is only 4 pages long, though the amendments make it longer. If we go by word count and put it in a modern font, the Constitution and amendments combined is about 19 pages. If legislation is 3,000+ pages long I'd have serious questions about how much of that truly needs to be in a federal bill, and how much could/should be shoved off to the states. Keep it simple and empower the lower levels please. Think very carefully about what needs to be specified and handled at the federal level.)
None of this is supposed to make government impossible, or even public goods like roads, education, and healthcare. It's supposed to make it better.
Too bad Republicans appear to have lost sight of that.
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