Yang Kai, editor of the People's Daily overseas edition, calls the ministry's merger the "most striking" part of the new round of government downsizing and says the new "slimmed-down" system will give rise to a "clean, efficient and service-oriented government".

BBC: China media: Railways ministry

And, in an effort to become more service-oriented, government organizations are having to overcome challenges such as legacy systems and disconnected applications that lack the power or flexibility to deliver a truly consumer-friendly experience.

FORBES: Not Your Father's Government

The by now well-known statistic that there are more musicians in U.S. military bands than American Foreign Service Officers speaks volumes about the disproportionate government funding of a U.S. military still overly oriented to superpower warfare.

CNN: Commentary: How Obama should run war on terror