--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever competition is feasible it is…" description: "\"Whenever competition is feasible it is, for all its imperfections, superior to regulation as a means of serving the public interest.\" — Alfred Kahn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/alfred-kahn-49294_airline_whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-f_3187934.png" --- # Whenever competition is feasible it is, for all its… ![“Whenever competition is feasible it is, for all its imperfections, superior to regulation as a means of serving the public interest.” quote by Alfred Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/alfred-kahn-49294_airline_whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-f_3187934.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/alfred-kahn-49294_airline_whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-f_3187934.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/alfred-kahn-49294_airline_whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-f_3187934.png) > “Whenever competition is feasible it is, for all its imperfections, superior to regulation as a means of serving the public interest.” [Alfred Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Competition, despite flaws, often yields better public outcomes than direct regulation. **In simple terms:** Competition can be better than regulation despite imperfections. Key Takeaway Consider market solutions before imposing strict rules. Themes economics public policy competition regulation Mood analytical critical Type economic policy When to use this quote - transportation planning - energy markets - telecommunications policy - healthcare delivery Key Concepts microeconomics public choice theory Questions to Reflect On - When is regulation preferable to competition? - How can we mitigate competition’s imperfections? A Different Perspective Competition may fail without safeguards against abuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Airline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/airline/) [Aviation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aviation/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Competition Feasible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition-feasible-5867928/) [Imperfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfection/) [Imperfections Superior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfections-superior-5867930/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Public interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-interest/) [Regulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regulation/) [Regulation Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regulation-means-5542002/) [Serving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving/) [Superior Regulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superior-regulation-5867929/) [Superiors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superiors/) ## Related quotes > [Light touch regulation means that we create broad regulatory frameworks that can protect consumers to ensure an overall competitive marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/light-touch-regulation-means-that-we-create-broad-regulatory/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) > [I really don't know one plane from the other. To me they are just marginal costs with wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/i-really-don-t-know-one-plane-from-the-other-to-me-they-are-just/) [Alfred Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/) > [Pan Am can go to hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/pan-am-can-go-to-hell/) [Alfred Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/) > [The papers, you know, they're always gonna just make stuff up. They think it's in the public interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-bugg/the-papers-you-know-they-re-always-gonna-just-make-stuff-up-they/) [Jake Bugg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-bugg/) > [However, when the privilege depends solely on the broad, undifferentiated claim of public interest in the confidentiality of such conversations, a confrontation with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-e-burger/however-when-the-privilege-depends-solely-on-the-broad/) [Warren E. 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The government have overall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-lemass/rte-was-set-up-by-legislation-as-an-instrument-of-public-policy-and/) [Sean Lemass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-lemass/) > [“A mere enumeration of government activity is evidence -- often the sole evidence offered -- of "inadequate" nongovernment institutions, whose "inability" to cope with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/a-mere-enumeration-of-government-activity-is-evidence-often-the-sole/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [ The diseased pride \[of artistic individualists\] was not even conscious of a public interest, and would have found all political terms utterly tasteless and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-diseased-pride-of-artistic-individualists-was-not-even-conscious/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-country-can-preserve-its-liberties-if-its-rulers-are-not-warned/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“People of the middle sort like us, thinking people that is, are always tongue-tied and awkward. What is the reason of it? Whether it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crime-and-punishment-fyodor-dostoevsky/people-of-the-middle-sort-like-us-thinking-people-that-is-are-always/) [Crime and Punishment; Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crime-and-punishment-fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest-it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gossage/advertising-justifies-its-existence-when-used-in-the-public-interest/) [Howard Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gossage/) > [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-cox/a-free-society-depends-upon-a-high-degree-of-mutual-trust-the-public/) [Archibald Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-cox/) ## More by Alfred Kahn > [Pan Am can go to hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/pan-am-can-go-to-hell/) [Alfred Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/) > [If you can't explain what you're doing in simple English, you are probably doing something wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/if-you-can-t-explain-what-you-re-doing-in-simple-english-you-are/) [Alfred Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/) > [Maybe it's sex appeal, but there's something about an airplane that drives investors crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/maybe-it-s-sex-appeal-but-there-s-something-about-an-airplane-that/) [Alfred Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/) > [You may have heard that a dean is to faculty as a hydrant is to a dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/you-may-have-heard-that-a-dean-is-to-faculty-as-a-hydrant-is-to-a-dog/) [Alfred Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/) > [People Express is clearly the archetypical deregulation success story and the most spectacular of my babies. It is the case that makes me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/people-express-is-clearly-the-archetypical-deregulation-success-story/) [Alfred Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/) > [I really don't know one plane from the other. To me they are just marginal costs with wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/i-really-don-t-know-one-plane-from-the-other-to-me-they-are-just/) [Alfred Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/) [Explore all 7 Alfred Kahn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/) ## More Airline quotes > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [Juan Tripp was a friend. Good name for an airline man, huh? Juan Tripp after another?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-wray/juan-tripp-was-a-friend-good-name-for-an-airline-man-huh-juan-tripp/) [Fay Wray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-wray/) > [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [If the Wright brother were alive today Wilbur would have to fire Orville to reduce costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/if-the-wright-brother-were-alive-today-wilbur-would-have-to-fire/) [Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/) > [Hart is still like that little tub of vaguely milklike gunk that comes with airline coffee. It is labeled a "nondairy" product. Fine: we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/hart-is-still-like-that-little-tub-of-vaguely-milklike-gunk-that/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [Be Luke Skywalker, not Darth Vader. Ultimately love is stronger than evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-burr/be-luke-skywalker-not-darth-vader-ultimately-love-is-stronger-than/) [Don Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-burr/) > [As a businessman, Frank Lorenzo gives capitalism a bad name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/as-a-businessman-frank-lorenzo-gives-capitalism-a-bad-name/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [I have an 800 freephone number now that I call if I get the urge to buy an airline stock. 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The airlines go to all that trouble to keep you from taking a gun on board, then they just hand you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/funny-isn-t-it-the-airlines-go-to-all-that-trouble-to-keep-you-from/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Any serious airline has to look at a worldwide network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-mallya/any-serious-airline-has-to-look-at-a-worldwide-network/) [Vijay Mallya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-mallya/) > [Running an airline is a normal job. Racing is more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-lauda/running-an-airline-is-a-normal-job-racing-is-more/) [Niki Lauda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-lauda/) > [Those were my children being slaughtered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-burr/those-were-my-children-being-slaughtered/) [Don Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-burr/) > [I came from the music business, which reputedly has the biggest egos, but I really think the airline world caps it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-fernandes/i-came-from-the-music-business-which-reputedly-has-the-biggest-egos/) [Tony Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-fernandes/) [Browse all 342 Airline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/airline/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whenever competition is feasible it is, for all its imperfections, superior to regulation as a means of serving the public interest.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alfred Kahn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-for-all-its-imperfections/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Airline" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-for-all-its-imperfections/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/alfred-kahn-49294_airline_whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-f_3187934.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/alfred-kahn-49294_airline_whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-f_3187934.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/alfred-kahn-49294_airline_whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-f_3187934.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whenever competition is feasible it is, for all its imperfections, superior to regulation as a means of…” — Alfred Kahn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alfred Kahn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-kahn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Whenever competition is feasible it is,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-for-all-its-imperfections/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-kahn/whenever-competition-is-feasible-it-is-for-all-its-imperfections/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```