Friedmans lag

David Friedman (Milton Friedmans son) postulerade i sin The Machinery of Freedom en Friedman's Law:

It costs any government at least twice as much to do something as it costs anyone else.

Som Arnold Kling skriver så är det en hafsig formulering, men den är också i grunden ett oerhört försiktigt antagande - två exempel:

- Från Reason:

NASA tallied the cost of each shuttle flight at about $450 million—and many put the real total closer to $1 billion. 

The NASA deal with Virgin Galactic for three flights? $4.5 million.

- Från Ambush Predator (originalets formatering):

‘This is a job for the council!’, cried…errr, the council:

Huntingdonshire District Council came up with a three-year redevelopment scheme...

Estimated cost? £300,000. Yes, that's three hundred thousand pounds...

… but a residents' group completed the same work in 18 months for £30,000.

That’s half the time, and a tenth of the price…

Några tidigare inlägg på liknande tema:
- Planekonomins tilltugg
- Planekonomins skolmateriel och snöskottning
- Planekonomins kalsonger