## Notes from 28 March 2026 [[2026-03-27|← Previous note]] ┃ [[2026-03-29|Next note →]] [This Substack](https://ozhistoryandpolitics.substack.com) by [[Andrew Kemp]] is a great find. Writing from a decade of experience as a civil servant, he explains why the bureaucracy feels so stuck. Some takeaways: - **Strategic language:** Bureaucratic jargon is a risk-management tool. Using vague "bands of meaning" allows officials to qualify their advice without being explicit, protecting them from future blame. - **Supremacy of numbers:** Quantitative modeling is treated like "the word of God". It’s highly persuasive because numbers require less theoretical debate than qualitative arguments, even though they often hide subjective value judgments behind complex math. - **Accountability trap:** Government has become a fragmented web of authorities and regulators. This "pluralization of authority" makes it harder to get anything done because power is spread across too many bodies. - **Middle management gap:** The rise of generalist managers has created a "feedback loop of ignorance." They often lack the technical depth to provide strategic advice, so they look to superiors for direction while superiors are waiting for them to lead. - **Stretched timeframes:** Policy reforms now take decades. This allows the people who propose them to be long gone by the time the public notices any negative results.