--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The question we ask today is not whether…" description: "\"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether government works.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/barack-obama-17_asks_the-question-we-ask-today-is-not-whether_308876.jpg" --- # The question we ask today is not whether our government is… ![“The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether government works.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/barack-obama-17_asks_the-question-we-ask-today-is-not-whether_308876.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/barack-obama-17_asks_the-question-we-ask-today-is-not-whether_308876.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88e/barack-obama-17_asks_the-question-we-ask-today-is-not-whether_308876.jpg) > “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether government works.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective governance matters more than size; performance is the key metric. **In simple terms:** Government should be judged by results, not scale. Key Takeaway Focus on outcomes, not size. Themes politics government effectiveness Mood analytical critical Type political policy When to use this quote - budget planning - legislative reform - public service evaluation Key Concepts public policy performance measurement Questions to Reflect On - How can we measure government success? - What reforms improve effectiveness? A Different Perspective Size alone doesn't guarantee good governance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-work/) [Inaugural address](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inaugural-address/) [Inaugural speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inaugural-speech/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Small government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-government/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [“The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-question-we-ask-today-is-not-whether-our-government-is-too-big-or-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [How our government works... it doesn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/how-our-government-works-it-doesn-t/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) > [ Really, the one thing that actually works - you know, state-run communism may not be your cup of tea, but \[China's\] government works. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/really-the-one-thing-that-actually-works-you-know-state-run-communism/) [Jeffrey R. 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Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. 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And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. 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