Witold M. Orłowski: The optimal size of government

It's sad to note that the important question of the optimal size of government has generated little interest in Polish academic circles, a point we will attempt to address with this study. Yet the problem is not new, having been addressed 70 years ago by the British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson… Yes, the same one who, a little earlier in "The Economist," formulated the landmark Parkinson's Law, which states that public administration (like any other bureaucracy, including corporate ones) grows in size steadily and independently of the addition of new tasks. The explanation was simple and elegant: no one is slacking off; a growing bureaucracy simply creates work for itself, filling its available resources entirely.

Analyzing the optimal size of the government, Parkinson pointed to other factors. On the one hand, the government, handling various tasks, must share the workload, and when formed through agreements, it must ensure the participation of all parties in the coalition. Therefore, there is a natural tendency for the size to increase. On the other hand, as Parkinson concluded based on in-depth research, a group exceeding 20-22 people is unable to converse together at the table: it divides into subgroups that engage in side chats and exchange notes (not necessarily on substantive topics). In his opinion, once the number exceeds 22, the effectiveness of the government declines dramatically.

Laboratory studies (unfortunately, performed on a living Polish organism) confirm Parkinson's theory. Communist governments of the 1960s and 1970s consisted of 31 to 33 people (including 5-6 deputy prime ministers). The less the government controlled the situation, the larger it grew. Babiuch's government, appointed just before the economic collapse, already numbered 38 people (8 deputy prime ministers). Jaruzelski's government, attempting to save the communist government from collapse, now numbered 41 people (the number of deputy prime ministers remained unchanged). And yet it failed.

During the Third Polish Republic, attempts were undoubtedly made to rectify the situation. Mazowiecki's government numbered 24 people, others even fewer than 20, until a broad coalition supporting Suchocka's government forced its temporary increase to 25. The government met in the Świetlikowa Room, where some members sat a dozen or so meters from others (the room would have been more suitable for playing volleyball than for holding a meeting). Then came further attempts to slim down the government, symbolized by the relocation (during the Miller government) of its meetings to a much smaller room.

The ministers are still seated at several tables arranged in a horseshoe shape, but much closer than before (for comparison, 16 members of the US government sit at one table; the slightly larger British government meets in a cozy room with a fireplace, also at one table). As part of the effort to lift Poland from its knees, Morawiecki's cabinet has been expanded to 27 members (including six deputy prime ministers, including one key figure). Tusk's government, supported by the coalition on October 15, had a similar number of deputy prime ministers (though with fewer deputy prime ministers).

After the reshuffle, the size of the government was reduced to 22 members, which, according to Parkinson, represents the threshold size that would allow it to function relatively efficiently. This is certainly encouraging. Yes, but it seems that since Wednesday, the prime minister has had other problems on his mind, not just disciplining ministers who chatter away during cabinet meetings.