They knew that even a limited government required some revenue if it was to effectively perform its (limited) tasks.

FORBES: Representation Without Taxation - So Where's the Outrage?

Measuring their ability to perform tasks based on the information is a more reliable indicator of its clarity and precision.

WSJ: When Simplicity Is the Solution

The Department of Defense currently spends more on private contractors than on all of its civilian and military personnel combined, and many of them perform redundant tasks that could be done more cheaply by government employees.

CNN: There's plenty to cut at the Pentagon