Pat runs a modern country (pseudodemocracy). There are two policy choices.
a) Force everyone under monetary penalty and possible jailing to separate their garbage
b) Hire heaps of government employees to separate everyone's garbage
Note: I am not discussing whether recycling is actually useful here. You can assume that the separated garbage just goes to the same landfill in a different truck, if that makes it easier to think about.
Which is the better option? Tax rates are sufficiently high than there are no real constraints with (b), and similarly the penalties in (a) are elastic.
(b) will get more votes for Pat at the next election (assuming there is one), but (a) will punish enemies more. So which is it? Or to phrase it better, why choose one instead of the other (admittedly, you might be able to choose both, first hiring and then forcing, keeping the employees on the dole).