Is it more important for a government to be in control of affairs or to appear so?

From UK, Gordon Brown (GB - we never had a vote anywhere on him, not even in his own party) masquarades around the economy, Global Tax Cuts, A Global 'New' Economy, but all the countries are in the same old problems, debt reconciliation. Do we need to go off as a global herd and throw good money after bad? When Brown nationalised the banks, he wanted lending immediately back to peak (aka flawed) levels.
The point of Gordon Brown globally synchronising tax cuts (before Mr Obama takes office) is to give the impression that the world is doing something as one, at GB behest.
Is this all gimmick politics, to look like you're doing something, which it is, or does that add a deeper purpose?