When decision-makers do not pay the price for failure, they will make riskier, sloppier, and sometimes reckless choices. It is human nature. If you eat the dessert and someone else gains the calories, you order the triple slice. The safest way to make big decisions is to tie power to responsibility — skin in the game. Entrepreneurs who bet wrong lose money; families who choose poorly adjust fast; communities learn by feedback.

But officials and committees insulated from consequences can double down on bad ideas, wasting years and fortunes while blaming circumstances. Accountability is not cruelty; it is wisdom. It channels ambition into service, filters out bad plans quickly, and rewards what actually works in the real world. A society that links authority with cost creates better decisions — and protects the people who would otherwise foot the bill.