If this were true wouldn't the size and scope of governments decline over time? I'm quite confident that there are more governmental organizations in the US than I could name, and each one of them have numerous programs. Indeed there have been entire agencies created in my lifetime, but despite the calls to defund or abolish some, I can't think of one that's closed.

(caveat: you said "things" which I took to mean something like "governmental products" which tend to have a high amount of inertia; if you had something else in mind this may not apply)