Government's role:  Before retirement, I was a Comptroller of an organization with approximately 800 employees and $400M in revenue a year.  One of our major goals was always to control overhead costs while still performing the overhead functions that were vital to the mission (creating products that kept our customers satisfied and thereby generating revenue) of the organization.

I sort of liken overhead costs at our activity with the function of the federal government.  With the federal government being the overhead to the private sector.  The federal govt has numerous vital functions - national defense, the courts, providing for the safety net, social security, etc.  However, in general, believe that overhead at an activity and the role of the federal govt are basically the same - provide for vital functions for the organization/country at the lowest possible cost.

When I say provide vital functions - this does not in any way include make work projects just to get people off the unemployment roles.  This also does not mean farming out monies for the Solyndra's of this world - or for PBS for that matter.  Vital means vital.  If it isn't absolutely necessary, you don't do it.  We need government to be as small as it can be.  Keeping costs down will help with the deficit, and free up taxpayer monies for taxpayer usage.  We need to grow the private sector (which will help even more with the deficit), not the government sector.  Growing the government sector just increases our debt.

I sort of like M. Romney's statement at the last debate, if it isn't worth borrowing money from China to pay for, it isn't worth doing.