Let’s say American history was a little bit different. For the last half century or so, the FedGuv has had one more additional department: “Productivity.” DePro has had one function in life: to make sure that the American economy is as productive and efficient as possible.
Assume that it’s not Big Brother sort of powerful, but has the sort of scope and nonchalant disregard for the Constitution as the New Deal programs. It’s something that FDR would have looked at and said, “Hmm, seems about right.” DePro’s job isn’t to make sure that Little Johnny doesn’t waste his Saturday mornings watching Bugs Bunny and Soul Train, but it does make sure that his school day isn’t wasted. And it makes sure that his parents jobs are hampered by neither excessive bureaucracy nor by personal slacking. So… what would DePro *DO?*
A few things seem obvious:
- They would make strikes and slowdowns by factory workers virtually illegal. But at the same time they would make sure that factory conditions and pay are good enough to keep up morale and production.
- Bad bosses, bad teachers, bad bureaucrats would be in constant danger. There would be a program where people would snitch on such folk, and they’d be warned, retrained, out on their ear, imprisoned.
- Criminality in schools and workplaces might fall under their purview. The result of this is that stealing that red stapler, or bullying a classmate, would become *Federal* crimes.
- Things like Facebook could well be snipped in the bud. Video games and other time-wasters at work might be simply declared Bad For The Public. This would obviously run afoul of the First Amendment; but I’d just point you to the National Firearms Act to demonstrate that a clearly defined “shall not be infringed” is hardly carved in stone as far as the FedGuv is concerned.
- The line at the DMV: thirty seconds. Any slower and the DMV runs foul of “you’re wasting these peoples time that could be spent back at their jobs.” Tax forms: take five minutes to fill out. Taxes are cheap & easy, but if you intentionally cheat, you get jailed *hard.*
So… what else? What might such a powerful Federal department have been up to over the last fifty years or so that could have greatly expanded the American economy? Booze, drugs, porn… banned, or legalized and regulated? Illegal immigrants… firmly booted out to assure low unemployment, or made moot by a well-oiled guest worker program? Social Justice programs in the workplace… entrenched, or made illegal?
Comment away…