Part of the reason the Government strives for power is because that allows it to grow.Totally agree. Question open to all: So why the government-wide strive for power?
Unlike any other 'business' or 'organization', which must prove the success of it's products or services in order to 'succeed' and grow / expand, the government is under no such yolk of competition to prove it's success or failure. So the only way for it to grow is to expand it's services, regardless if those services are essential or even helpful.
And once you have hired a GS employee / create an organization, it's a $%^ing act of Congress to get rid of them... so it just grows, and grows, and grows.