It doesnt have to be a conspiracy theory. Its the nature of the system as it has evolved. Government is incompetent at almost every level (not all, but most). Other than the military there is just about no task that cant be completed better, faster and more competently in the private sector.

if you have ever dealt with regulatory agencies it is filled with box checkers, people "just doing their job". If you try to step outside the lines you get squashed. I beat my head daily in my day job just complying with rules and regs that dont always have cut and dry answers or even make common sense, but you gotta follow them. It pays me well and keeps my company running, so we jump in and fill out the forms, make our designs compliant to regulations and spend our clients money so that they get their permit and project built.

One pet peeve - the building codes limit how much wattage of lighting you can install in your building. That really rubs me raw. Who is someone to dictate how bright my office is? I'm paying the bill, buying the lights, etc. But Marge in the code review department wants to see our calculations of watts/square foot and that we have $500 worth of automated lighting controls in every room. Fight the system and you dont get a building permit. There is no one you can even fight with since everyone is just following the "code". Every year it gets more and more stringent and difficult/costly to build a building. Nothing ever gets easier. I can only realize that these regulations keep our company in fat city. So i stop complaining and just comply and get paid handsomely..... which is exactly how the swamp of the FDA continues to grow and rule the pharma industry. There is a huge industry just in compliance and regulation. if we stream line that and make it easier all the bean counters and regulators would be out of a job which is really what the FDA is about, no different than my company getting rich off compliance.