The USPS is fantastically more efficient than private mail. The entire insurance industry relies on Medicare to even begin negotiating prices. Even Amtrak, for all its faults, is far better at providing service than private trains.

In other countries, where foolish attempts to involve predatory private industry or outright hamstring government programs, state-owned enterprise is even better. Healthcare, trains, power- all drastically outcompete private industry. Not to mention the fact that in-house military hardware is years ahead of industry stuff.

There is nothing that makes governments less efficient than private industry. At every level, people are getting paid based on the job they do. People are fired if they are a waste. The only argument of perverse incentives that makes any sense is that the things governments do are not necessarily needed, not that they aren't done well.

The idea that the government doesn't operate well is a complete myth.