The Other Side of <em>Janus</em>

Might the decline of public-sector unions spur the revitalization of the public sector?

One of the longstanding complaints about public-sector unions, a complaint one hears mostly though not exclusively on the right, is that by assiduously serving the interests of their members, they wind up shortchanging the public. This is not out of a desire to fleece taxpayers. Rather, it reflects the fact that while the consumers of public services have an interest in having them delivered cost-effectively, to ensure that taxpayer dollars go as far as possible, those who provide them are at least partly motivated by a desire to be well-compensated, even if that means they’ll be paid more than is strictly necessary to get the job done. When public-sector unions press for more compensation