It might also be easier to bring external experts into secret private projects, through NDAs and the like, than it is to get them clearance to consult on secret state ones.
It seems to me that it’s also possible that that’s more of a symptom than a cause of the secrecy being less corrosive/corrupting in private than state projects (if indeed that is the case). That is, perhaps there’s some other reason why secrecy leads to less corruption and distortion of incentives in businesses than in governments, and then because of that, those in-the-know in business are more willing to let external experts get NDAs-or-similar and look at what’s going on than are those in-the-know in government.
Interesting points, thanks for sharing!
One minor thought, in response to:
It seems to me that it’s also possible that that’s more of a symptom than a cause of the secrecy being less corrosive/corrupting in private than state projects (if indeed that is the case). That is, perhaps there’s some other reason why secrecy leads to less corruption and distortion of incentives in businesses than in governments, and then because of that, those in-the-know in business are more willing to let external experts get NDAs-or-similar and look at what’s going on than are those in-the-know in government.