--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: that's how the government is. It was…" description: "\"“that's how the government is. It was invented to do stuff that private enterprise doesn't bother with, which means that there's probably no reason for..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/anonymous-1_business_that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-inve_2687939.jpg" --- # that's how the government is. It was invented to do stuff… ![“that's how the government is. It was invented to do stuff that private enterprise doesn't bother with, which means that there's probably no reason for it;” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/anonymous-1_business_that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-inve_2687939.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/anonymous-1_business_that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-inve_2687939.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/anonymous-1_business_that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-inve_2687939.jpg) > ““that's how the government is. It was invented to do stuff that private enterprise doesn't bother with, which means that there's probably no reason for it;”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests government exists only for tasks private sector avoids, implying its necessity is questionable. **In simple terms:** Government is seen as unnecessary if private sector can handle everything. Key Takeaway Question the essential functions of government. Themes government public policy economics Mood skeptical critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy debates - public budgeting - civic education - legislative reform Key Concepts public goods market failure state legitimacy Questions to Reflect On - What services truly need government oversight? - How can private and public sectors collaborate effectively? A Different Perspective It overlooks services that truly require collective coordination, like defense or public health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Enterprise Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enterprise-doesn-2633548/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Invented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-invented-1992881/) [Invented Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invented-stuff-2633549/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Private enterprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-enterprise/) ## Related quotes > [We've invented most of the stuff that we need and now we're just messing about](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/we-ve-invented-most-of-the-stuff-that-we-need-and-now-we-re-just/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [The government invented the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-government-invented-the-internet/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [European democracy, for me, is the best form of government invented by mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petro-poroshenko/european-democracy-for-me-is-the-best-form-of-government-invented-by/) [Petro Poroshenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petro-poroshenko/) > [For the system of government you fashioned including the very principles on which you based it, is increasingly obsolete, and hence increasingly, if inadvertently,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/for-the-system-of-government-you-fashioned-including-the-very/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [When shallow critics denounce the profit motive inherent in our system of private enterprise, they ignore the fact that it is an economic support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-shallow-critics-denounce-the-profit-motive-inherent-in-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Some regard private enterprise as if it were a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look upon it as a cow that they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/some-regard-private-enterprise-as-if-it-were-a-predatory-tiger-to-be/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [A newspaper is a private enterprise owing nothing whatsoever to the public, which grants it no franchise. It is therefore affected with no public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-hamilton/a-newspaper-is-a-private-enterprise-owing-nothing-whatsoever-to-the/) [William Peter Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-hamilton/) > [The corporate State considers that private enterprise in the sphere of production is the most effective and useful instrument in the interest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/the-corporate-state-considers-that-private-enterprise-in-the-sphere/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [Government can't create wealth, but it can create the conditions for private enterprise to flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-owens/government-can-t-create-wealth-but-it-can-create-the-conditions-for/) [Bill Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-owens/) > [Small and mid-sized companies in this country historically have been responsible for creating the overwhelming majority of new jobs in the private sector. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-milken/small-and-mid-sized-companies-in-this-country-historically-have-been/) [Michael Milken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-milken/) > [Private enterprise manages better all that to which it is equal. Anarchism declares that private enterprise, whether individual or cooperative, is equal to all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltairine-de-cleyre/private-enterprise-manages-better-all-that-to-which-it-is-equal/) [Voltairine de Cleyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltairine-de-cleyre/) > [ Some \[intentional communities\], like the Shakers and the Harmony Society, have endured for a century or even longer. The Hutterians, to cite an extreme… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-zablocki/some-intentional-communities-like-the-shakers-and-the-harmony-society/) [Benjamin Zablocki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-zablocki/) > [The orthodox doctrines of economics which were dominant in the last quarter of the nineteenth century had a clear message. They supported laisser faire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/the-orthodox-doctrines-of-economics-which-were-dominant-in-the-last/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [As motherhood as a "private enterprise" declines and more mothers rely on the work of lower-paid specialists, the value accorded the work of mothering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/as-motherhood-as-a-private-enterprise-declines-and-more-mothers-rely/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“that's how the government is. It was invented to do stuff that private enterprise doesn't bother with, which means that there's probably no reason for it;”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-invented-to-do-stuff-that-private/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-invented-to-do-stuff-that-private/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/anonymous-1_business_that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-inve_2687939.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/anonymous-1_business_that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-inve_2687939.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/anonymous-1_business_that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-inve_2687939.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“that's how the government is. It was invented to do stuff that private enterprise doesn't bother with, which…” — Anonymous", "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": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“that's how the government is. It...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-invented-to-do-stuff-that-private/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-s-how-the-government-is-it-was-invented-to-do-stuff-that-private/#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 } } ] } ```