Appraising Government’s Tools

Abstract

Up till now we have looked at government’s tools with a dispassionate eye. We have sought to analyse and understand, not to judge or evaluate. We have noticed the diversity of ways in which government uses its set of tools in different contexts; the many possible combinations that the set is capable of generating, and the ways in which the pattern can change over time as government tries to find the right tools for a job. It is now time to address ourselves more directly to the question of what makes a good choice of tools.

It’s a poor workman who blames his tools.

(old saw)