The Three Branches of Government: Money, Television and Bullshit, pp. 85-108 Summary and Analysis

Beginning a new section entitled "Protectors of a Blameless Citizenry: The Bureaucracy," O'Rourke considers a subsection of the Department of Transportation. For twenty years, he explains, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has faced an outbreak of "runaway car syndrome," a situation where a vehicle spontaneously accelerates independently of the driver's will. Implying that the idea is ridiculous, O'Rourke describes how consumer advocates compel increased bureaucracy by forcing the government to address people's frivolous complaints.

O'Rourke tells the story of how the Audi 5000, through a combination of media hype and special interest group support, became branded as unsafe due to "runaway car syndrome." The media compels the government to investigate the claims and, after an exhaustive study, determines that the cause...