---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The worst thing the federal government…"
description: "\"The worst thing the federal government could do is to increase the size, reach and cost of government. If government failed in its response to the hurr..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/cal-thomas-9453_answers_the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-c_227948.jpg"
---

#  The worst thing the federal government could do is to…

![“The worst thing the federal government could do is to increase the size, reach and cost of government. If government failed in its response to the hurricane, the answer is not more inefficient government.” quote by Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/cal-thomas-9453_answers_the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-c_227948.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/cal-thomas-9453_answers_the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-c_227948.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/cal-thomas-9453_answers_the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-c_227948.jpg)

> “The worst thing the federal government could do is to increase the size, reach and cost of government. If government failed in its response to the hurricane, the answer is not more inefficient government.”

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Expanding government size, reach, and cost worsens inefficiency and fails to solve crises.

**In simple terms:** Bigger government makes problems worse.

Key Takeaway

Limit government growth.

Themes

government efficiency policy crisis management

Mood

cautious critical

Type

political analytical

When to use this quote

- election debates
- policy planning
- budget meetings
- crisis response
- public discourse

Key Concepts

public administration fiscal responsibility bureaucracy

Questions to Reflect On

- Can a larger government ever be efficient?
- What alternatives exist to improve response without expansion?

A Different Perspective

More government may be needed for coordination in emergencies.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Cost Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost-government-2314489/) [Federal government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/federal-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-failed-451949/) [Hurricanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurricanes/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Increase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increase/) [Inefficient Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inefficient-government-2314487/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) [Response Hurricane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response-hurricane-2314488/) [Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Worst thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-thing/) [Worst things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-things/)

## Related quotes

> [It is time for conservatives to do what they do best and insist that a wasteful, inefficient government program gets off the books. Small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-clark/it-is-time-for-conservatives-to-do-what-they-do-best-and-insist-that/)

[Christy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-clark/)

> [What does it mean when Republicans and Democrats alike warn us about the 'pain' involved in cutting government spending - in their spending less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-j-forstmann/what-does-it-mean-when-republicans-and-democrats-alike-warn-us-about/)

[Theodore J. Forstmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-j-forstmann/)

> [“I don’t know why I seem to be the only one who understands that when the government provides something for free—whether it’s food, housing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-carolla/i-don-t-know-why-i-seem-to-be-the-only-one-who-understands-that-when/)

[Adam Carolla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-carolla/)

> [“Giving away free housing, it turned out, was actually a windfall for the state budget. State economists calculated that a drifter living on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/giving-away-free-housing-it-turned-out-was-actually-a-windfall-for/)

[Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/)

> [“The Economic Policy Institute, a progressive think tank, estimated that the hedge fund loophole cost the government over $6 billion a year—the cost of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/the-economic-policy-institute-a-progressive-think-tank-estimated-that/)

[Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/)

> [One of the reasons some of the advocates of ever larger government and more government intrusiveness get nervous about discussions of the actual cost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/one-of-the-reasons-some-of-the-advocates-of-ever-larger-government/)

[Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/)

> [The long experiment with professional politicians and professional government is over, and it failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/the-long-experiment-with-professional-politicians-and-professional/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [By neglecting education, the 1974 Labour government failed as surely as on the picket lines of Grunwick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-adonis-baron-adonis/by-neglecting-education-the-1974-labour-government-failed-as-surely/)

[Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-adonis-baron-adonis/)

> [It's not just that government has failed us. It's not just that we have failed ourselves. It's government. It's individuals. It's sort of everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/it-s-not-just-that-government-has-failed-us-it-s-not-just-that-we/)

[J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/)

> [Whatever failures may have come to parliamentary government in countries which have not those traditions, and where it is not a natural growth, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/whatever-failures-may-have-come-to-parliamentary-government-in/)

[Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/)

> [The parallels between 9/11 and Pearl Harbor are striking. In each instance there were warning signs before the attack, and in each instance our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-watson/the-parallels-between-9-11-and-pearl-harbor-are-striking-in-each/)

[Diane Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-watson/)

> [And once again the government has failed to get the kind of cooperation from the relatives that might allow the case of this young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jennings/and-once-again-the-government-has-failed-to-get-the-kind-of/)

[Peter Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jennings/)

> [To you, the people of Flint, I say, as I have before, I am sorry and I will fix it. No citizen of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-snyder/to-you-the-people-of-flint-i-say-as-i-have-before-i-am-sorry-and-i/)

[Rick Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-snyder/)

> [“ when you see someone in a tree trying to protect it , you know that every level of our society have failed ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-butterfly-hill/when-you-see-someone-in-a-tree-trying-to-protect-it-you-know-that/)

[Julia Butterfly Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-butterfly-hill/)

> [They can change every name in South Africa, but it won't change the fact that the government has failed to provide services or curb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-mulder/they-can-change-every-name-in-south-africa-but-it-won-t-change-the/)

[Connie Mulder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-mulder/)

## More by Cal Thomas

> [One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/one-of-the-reasons-people-hate-politics-is-that-truth-is-rarely-a/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [The measure of a great writer is not how many weeks his books spend on the best-seller lists, but how many years his books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-measure-of-a-great-writer-is-not-how-many-weeks-his-books-spend/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [No nation can survive without passing its heritage, language and, yes, faith to the next generation. A country must be built on something substantial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/no-nation-can-survive-without-passing-its-heritage-language-and-yes/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [It is now possible to live a "christian life" without doing the things that Jesus commanded us to do. We have hired people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/it-is-now-possible-to-live-a-christian-life-without-doing-the-things/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [As pressure grows to ease the financial burden on social security, pressure will also grow to eliminate the elderly and infirm to 'free up'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/as-pressure-grows-to-ease-the-financial-burden-on-social-security/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [Once a federal law or policy is in place it is more difficult to kill than a vampire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/once-a-federal-law-or-policy-is-in-place-it-is-more-difficult-to-kill/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [Does the U.S. Constitution stand for anything in an era of government excess? Can that founding document, which is supposed to restrain the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/does-the-u-s-constitution-stand-for-anything-in-an-era-of-government/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [Republicans should save the clip of Jonathan Gruber and run it over and over again in the run-up to the 2016 election. This attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/republicans-should-save-the-clip-of-jonathan-gruber-and-run-it-over/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [In a free society, government reflects the soul of its people. If people want change at the top, they will have to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/in-a-free-society-government-reflects-the-soul-of-its-people-if/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [As with most things governmental, failure does not mean having to try something else. It means spending more money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/as-with-most-things-governmental-failure-does-not-mean-having-to-try/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [All we are asking for is balance. I would like to think that I could walk into a public library and find not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/all-we-are-asking-for-is-balance-i-would-like-to-think-that-i-could/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [The Obama 'stimulus' plan is a $1 trillion dollar gamble more suited to Las Vegas than Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-obama-stimulus-plan-is-a-1-trillion-dollar-gamble-more-suited-to/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [The difference between the more traditional sports clubs and Congress is that Congress doesn't really compete against another team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-difference-between-the-more-traditional-sports-clubs-and-congress/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [The courts demand that every religious person must accommodate a single atheist who might be 'offended' at the favorable mention of God's name. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-courts-demand-that-every-religious-person-must-accommodate-a/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [The kingdom of God is not going to arrive on Air Force One.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-kingdom-of-god-is-not-going-to-arrive-on-air-force-one/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

[Explore all 72 Cal Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

## More Answers quotes

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

> [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/)

[Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/)

> [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/)

[Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/)

> [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/)

[Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/)

> [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/)

[Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/)

> [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

[Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The worst thing the federal government could do is to increase the size, reach and cost of government. If government failed in its response to the hurricane, the answer is not more inefficient government.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cal Thomas"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-could-do-is-to-increase-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Answers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-could-do-is-to-increase-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/cal-thomas-9453_answers_the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-c_227948.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/cal-thomas-9453_answers_the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-c_227948.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/cal-thomas-9453_answers_the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-c_227948.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The worst thing the federal government could do is to increase the size, reach and cost of government. If…” — Cal Thomas",
                "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": "Cal Thomas",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The worst thing the federal government...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-could-do-is-to-increase-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/the-worst-thing-the-federal-government-could-do-is-to-increase-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
