If a nation is essentially disunited,it is left to the government to hold it together.This increases
the expense of government,and reduces correspondingly the amount of economic resources that could be
used for developing the country.And it should not be forgotten how small those resources are in a
poor and backward country.Where the cost of government is high,resources for development are
correspondingly low.
This may be illustrated by comparing the position of a nation with that of a private business
enterprise.An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.For
our purposes,we are concerned only with one kind of cost--the cost of managing and administering
the business.Such administrative overheads in a business are analogous to the cost of government
in a nation.The administrative overheads of a business are low to the extent that everyone working
in the business can be trusted to behave in a way that best promotes the interests of the firm.If
they can each be trusted to take such reponsibilities,and to exercise such initiatives as falls
within their sphere,then administrative overhead will be low.It will be low because it will be
necessary to have only one man looking after each job,without having another man to check upon what
he is doing,keep him in line,and report on him to someone else.But if no one can be trusted to act
in a loyal and responsible manner towards thid job,then the business will require armies of
administrators,checkers,and foremen,and administrative overheads will rise correspondingly.As
administrative overhead rises,so the earnings of the business,after meeting the expense of
administration,will fall;and the business will have less money to distribute as dividends or invest
directly in its future progress and development.
It is precisely the same with a nation.To the extent that the people can be relied upon to behave in
a loyal and responsible manner,the government does not require armies of police and civil servants
to keep them in order.But if a nation is dusunited,the government cannot be sure that the actions of
the people will be in the interests of the nation;and it will have to watch,check,and control the
people accordingly.A disunited nation therefore has to incur unduly high costs of government.