Under the administration of George W. Bush, you will recall, federal spending grew pretty significantly. At the same time, the number of people directly employed by the federal government shrank. One of the factors that explained the difference was contracting. – Thomas Frank
This aesthetic quality, then, is what politics is all about. Its authenticity that separates winners from losers, good politics from bad, and he-man leader-types from consultant-directed puppet-boys. – Thomas Frank