More than 90,000 governments are stealing your time with absurd forms and rules — even Estonia works better

Nypost · Aug 18, 2026 · 837 words · By Eric Spitznagel

Government Inefficiency Digital Governance Administrative Burden

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What to know about Government Inefficiency

More than 90,000 governments are stealing your time with absurd forms and rules — even Estonia works better See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

More than 90,000 governments are stealing your time with absurd forms and rules — even Estonia works better See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google In 2001, writer Jeff Miller walked into a Massachusetts DMV to transfer his driver’s license and walked out as a convicted felon.

Common ground

But as journalist Annie Lowrey explains in her new book, “The Time Tax: How the Government Wastes Our Time — and How to Fix It” (Ecco, out Aug.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Pity, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Government Inefficiency story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Michigan once required struggling residents to complete a benefits application that ran more than 40 pages, contained 18,000 words and asked more than 1,000 questions?
How does this story connect Government Inefficiency with Digital Governance over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/lifestyle/more-than-90000-governments-across-ameri…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Pity 70% confidence

Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 3

check_circle Corroborated 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

schedule Pending 1

verified Verified 1

info

Claim 1: “Michigan once required struggling residents to complete a benefits application that ran more than 40 pages, contained 18,000 words and asked more than 1,000 questions.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided consists of an Ohio benefits link, a video game walkthrough, and SSA information. None of these mention Michigan's 40-page application.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Application for Cash Assistance, Food Stamps, and Health Benefits.
https://benefits.ohio.gov/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Full step-by-step walkthrough for the Words Left Unsaid quest, part of the Wandering Tales series, located in Millennium Crossing on the Hidden Mountain map....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2y1xcLLHZc

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Find out how to plan for your Social Security Retirement benefit and what you need to do once you start getting your payment.You can typically get monthly Retirement benefits starting at age 62 if you…
https://www.ssa.gov/retirement

verified

Claim 2: “In 2001, writer Jeff Miller walked into a Massachusetts DMV to transfer his driver’s license and walked out as a convicted felon.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of sports news about D'Andre Swift and general Wikipedia entries for Grey's Anatomy and Virginia. There is no mention of Jeff Miller or the Massachusetts DMV.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Grey's Anatomy is an American television medical drama series created by Shonda Rhimes and broadcast by ABC. The show features an ensemble cast of lead characters, along with multiple supporting cast …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Grey's_Anatomy_charact…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Top Chef: Carolinas is the twenty-third season of the American reality television series Top Chef. Filming was centered around Charlotte, North Carolina, with additional episodes shot in Greenville, S…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Chef:_Carolinas

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. It borders Ken…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 3: “The average completion time fell from 40 minutes to 16.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the completion time of Michigan's application.

check_circle

Claim 4: “Annie Lowrey explains in her new book, “The Time Tax: How the Government Wastes Our Time — and How to Fix It” (Ecco, out Aug. 25)”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources confirm Annie Lowrey authored 'The Time Tax: How the Government Wastes Our Time — and How to Fix It', published by Ecco, with a release date of August 25.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Annie M. Lowrey (; born July 22, 1984) is an American journalist who writes on politics and economic policy for The Atlantic. She is a proponent of universal basic income.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Lowrey

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States federal government and most state governments impose an income tax. They are determined by applying a tax rate, which may increase as income increases, to taxable income, which is th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_State…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, typically shortened to the Tax Policy Center (TPC), is a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington D.C., United States. A joint venture of the Urban Institute a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_Policy_Center

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 5: “Successful applications rose from 72% to 94%, while government processing time dropped 42%.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 6: “Lowrey counts at least 91,476 governments, from the federal government down to school districts, towns, tribal governments and special-purpose entities”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provides general information about U.S. government structures and special-purpose governments, but does not mention the specific count of 91,476 entities.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. Under the U.S. Constitution, the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_Unit…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal district (Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States). The U.S. also possesses five major territor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_and_territories…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 7: “In Estonia, nearly every public service is available through one secure digital portal.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Estonia's digital identity system allows citizens to access nearly all public services online via a digital portal.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Estonia offers a useful global reference point. The country’s national digital identity system enables citizens to access nearly all public and private services online from healthcare and taxation to …
https://nerdw.com/blog/inclusive-digital-transformation-desi…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In Estonia, almost all public services can be provided and consumed in a digital way. That has been a huge advantage in COVID times, as our government was ready to provide its services digitally with …
https://sites.utu.fi/bre/how-covid-19-has-pushed-estonia-tow…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A government-issued digital identity that provides access to Estonia's transparent business environment. Apply here!It provides the possibility to securely authenticate yourself online and sign docume…
https://www.e-resident.gov.ee/

help

Claim 8: “In 2018, the state [Michigan] replaced its notorious benefits application with a version containing 80% fewer words.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Michigan's 2018 application revision.

verified

Claim 9: “The American Action Forum values that labor at roughly $430 billion annually.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided includes a general description of the American Action Network and an economist, but does not mention a $430 billion valuation of labor by the American Action Forum.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2020 United States presidential election in Georgia was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Colum…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidentia…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The American Action Network (AAN) is a nonprofit, conservative issue advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., aligned with the Republican Party. It was established in 2010 by Fred Malek and Norm Cole…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Action_Network

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Douglas James Holtz-Eakin (born February 3, 1958) is an American economist. He was formerly an economics professor at Syracuse University, director of the Congressional Budget Office, and chief econom…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Holtz-Eakin

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 10: “Federal estimates show Americans spend more than 12 billion hours a year complying with government paperwork requirements”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web sources mention the figure of over 12 billion hours (one explicitly stating 'over 12 billion hours annually' and another mentioning '11.6 billion hours' in a similar context).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States. U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with race or ethnicity, but rather with citizenship. The U.S. has 37 ancestry groups with mo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Federal Republic of Central America (Spanish: República Federal de Centro América), initially known as the United Provinces of Central America (Provincias Unidas del Centro de América), was a sove…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Republic_of_Central_Am…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The United States federal government is composed of three dist…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_government_of_the_Unit…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 11: “Its “only once” policy means that when a resident gives information to one government office, other agencies can retrieve it.”

VERIFIED

Evidence confirms Estonia uses 'X-Road', a system that allows different government agencies to share information safely and efficiently to avoid duplicate requests, which aligns with the 'only once' policy description.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Estonia's digital success story is built on innovation and trust. A factor of this success is X-Road, a system that allows different government agencies and businesses to share information safely and …
https://acemoneytransfer.com/blog/estonia-s-tech-policy-and-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — For research, allow several agents to investigate only when their questions or evidence sources differ; ask one owner to synthesize the results.
https://www.verdent.ai/ar/guides/answers/parallel-coding-age…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Duplicate requests occur when the same request is sent multiple times to the server within a short period. This can happen intentionally or unintentionally, and they often lead to unnecessary processi…
https://medium.com/tuanhdotnet/7-effective-techniques-to-pre…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.