Dic: as much

CF. as much as

• I suspected as much when I heard.
• I knew he'd fail─I said as much at the time.
• Go on, lend me the money─you know I'd do as much for you.
• I thought as much. 
• She said as much.
• You're waiting for a woman-I thought as much.

△ exactly that.
△ If you say that you thought/expected/said as much, it means that something bad that you thought/expected/said would happen has happened.
△ the same
△ almost the same.
△ You use as much in expressions such as `I thought as much' and `I guessed as much' after you have just been told something and you want to say that you already believed or expected it to be true.

... Collins, CALD, American Heritage. COBUILD

CF. 

The debate should be as much as making each type of actorㅡgovernment or privateㅡhave their private and social returns aligned better, as much as it is about finding the right mix of government and market to solve the problems. 

• 1. The debate should be as much. 2. (How much?) 3. (It should be) as much as making each type of actor have their private and social returns aligned better. 
• 1. And the debate should be as much. 2. (How much?) 3. (It should be) as much as it is about finding the right mix of government and market to solve the problems.