▁David ▁S . ▁Sa al </ ref > ▁In ▁the ▁Roman ▁Republic ▁private ▁individuals ▁and ▁companies ▁performed ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁services ▁including ▁tax ▁collection ▁( tax ▁far ming ), ▁army ▁supplies ▁( mil it ary ▁contract ors ), ▁religious ▁sacrific es ▁and ▁construction . ▁However , ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁also ▁created ▁state - owned ▁enter pr ises — for ▁example , ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁gra in ▁was ▁eventually ▁produced ▁on ▁est ates ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁Emperor . ▁David ▁Parker ▁and ▁David ▁S . ▁Sa al ▁suggest ▁that ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁b ureau c racy ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁reasons ▁for ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁ ▁Perhaps ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁ide ological ▁movements ▁towards ▁priv at ization ▁came ▁during ▁China ' s ▁golden ▁age ▁of ▁the ▁Han ▁D ynast y . ▁T ao ism ▁came ▁into ▁prom in ence ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁at ▁a ▁state ▁level , ▁and ▁it ▁advoc ated ▁the ▁la isse z - f aire ▁principle ▁of ▁Wu ▁we i ▁( 無 <0xE7> <0x82> <0xBA> ), ▁literally ▁meaning ▁" do ▁nothing ". ▁The ▁r ul ers ▁were ▁coun se led ▁by ▁the ▁T ao ist ▁cler gy ▁that ▁a ▁strong ▁r uler ▁was ▁virt ually ▁invisible . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Renaissance , ▁most ▁of ▁Europe ▁was ▁still ▁by ▁and ▁large ▁following ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁economic ▁model . ▁By ▁contrast , ▁the ▁M ing ▁dynast y ▁in ▁China ▁began ▁once ▁more ▁to ▁practice ▁priv at ization , ▁especially ▁with ▁regards ▁to ▁their ▁manufact uring ▁indust ries