″...is there any fact in the matter of whether a government is efficient?”
I think yes, although it’s sticky to define. Take a reductio of extreme cases: say, Somalia vs. Sweden. I think in this context it is clear there is a fact of the matter.
Efficiency should be some sort of ratio of benefit to cost. Somalia has a
feeble government and
no effective taxation; Sweden has a lot of both. This does not determine the relation between the ratios. For low benefit/high cost, the pre-1989 USSR would be a better example.
Not disagreeing with your overall point but...
″...is there any fact in the matter of whether a government is efficient?”
I think yes, although it’s sticky to define. Take a reductio of extreme cases: say, Somalia vs. Sweden. I think in this context it is clear there is a fact of the matter.
Efficiency should be some sort of ratio of benefit to cost. Somalia has a feeble government and no effective taxation; Sweden has a lot of both. This does not determine the relation between the ratios. For low benefit/high cost, the pre-1989 USSR would be a better example.
I didn’t think Psychohistorian meant “efficiency” in the technical sense, but yeah, I see what you’re saying.