A broad consensus normally has to be reached between the individual government levels and also between the political parties. A full calendar of elections and the virtually continuous electioneering which they entail, as well as the considerable influence of various lobbies, mean that a great degree of inertia is inherent in the system.
The result can be seen, for example, in the extremely complicated tax and social security system, which is characterised by innumerable piecemeal amendments and supplements. The system has  2  BIS Review 48/2003  become immensely complex and, as a result, is increasingly perceived as unjust. The epithet “tax and subsidy jungle” indicates the loss of clarity and transparency.