--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It matters more how governments behave…" description: "\"It matters more how governments behave than how big they are.\" — Geoff Mulgan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5b/geoff-mulgan-7252_behave_it-matters-more-how-governments-behave-t_2215823.jpg" --- # It matters more how governments behave than how big they… ![“It matters more how governments behave than how big they are.” quote by Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5b/geoff-mulgan-7252_behave_it-matters-more-how-governments-behave-t_2215823.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5b/geoff-mulgan-7252_behave_it-matters-more-how-governments-behave-t_2215823.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5b/geoff-mulgan-7252_behave_it-matters-more-how-governments-behave-t_2215823.jpg) > “It matters more how governments behave than how big they are.” [Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-mulgan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government behavior—its policies and ethics—matters more than its size in influencing society. **In simple terms:** How a government acts matters most. Key Takeaway Focus on ethical governance over size. Themes governance ethics political impact Mood concerned analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - public administration - elections - civic engagement Key Concepts political science public policy leadership Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens hold governments accountable? - What indicators show ethical governance? A Different Perspective Large institutions can still wield power responsibly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave/) [Behave Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave-big-4924923/) [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governments/) [Governments Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governments-behave-4924922/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters/) [Matters Governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters-governments-4924921/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) ## Related quotes > [For political and bureaucratic reasons, governments at all levels are telling far less to the public than to insiders about how to prepare for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/for-political-and-bureaucratic-reasons-governments-at-all-levels-are/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [The responsibility for good government lies not just with governments themselves but also with every other part of the system they operate in, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-mulgan/the-responsibility-for-good-government-lies-not-just-with-governments/) [Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-mulgan/) > [Most governments do have inbuilt biases in favour of the rich and powerful, and most do contain plenty of manipulators who love intrigue, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-mulgan/most-governments-do-have-inbuilt-biases-in-favour-of-the-rich-and/) [Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-mulgan/) > [Governments should want and even crave the best possible scientific advice. With reliable knowledge come better decisions, fewer mistakes and more results achieved for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-mulgan/governments-should-want-and-even-crave-the-best-possible-scientific/) [Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-mulgan/) > [The claim of the State Socialists, however, that this right would not be exercised in matters pertaining to the individual in the more intimate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-tucker/the-claim-of-the-state-socialists-however-that-this-right-would-not/) [Benjamin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-tucker/) > [Life and death matters, yes. And the question of how to behave in this world, how to go in the face of everything. Time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/life-and-death-matters-yes-and-the-question-of-how-to-behave-in-this/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [Behave like everything you do matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/behave-like-everything-you-do-matters/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I think it true that, you know, sometimes things start to change even before a government changes and, actually, I think you can begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/i-think-it-true-that-you-know-sometimes-things-start-to-change-even/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [The true forms of government, therefore, are those in which the one, or the few, or the many, govern with a view to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-true-forms-of-government-therefore-are-those-in-which-the-one-or/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The governments are seen to be less effective than they used to be. The private sector is perceived as being so much more efficient,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/the-governments-are-seen-to-be-less-effective-than-they-used-to-be/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [If we do not adhere firmly to the constitution, our governments will not last long and will change frequently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suharto/if-we-do-not-adhere-firmly-to-the-constitution-our-governments-will/) [Suharto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suharto/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/) [Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/) ## More by Geoff Mulgan > [For most of human history, the main goal of states has been to conquer land and to achieve glory for their rulers, usually at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-mulgan/for-most-of-human-history-the-main-goal-of-states-has-been-to-conquer/) [Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-mulgan/) > [Over 5,000 years, states have made surprisingly consistent claims about their duties. 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All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Then Olympus it is. But do try to behave. I know it’s hard for you, but… (Delphine) I won’t piss on the floor. (Jericho)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/then-olympus-it-is-but-do-try-to-behave-i-know-it-s-hard-for-you-but/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/why-does-man-behave-like-perfect-idiot-this-is-the-problem-i-wish-to/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [This is a time in my life where I'm gonna behave like an elegant human being. Or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/this-is-a-time-in-my-life-where-i-m-gonna-behave-like-an-elegant/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [Most people, even in simple risky situations, don't behave the way the theory of utility would have them behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-raiffa/most-people-even-in-simple-risky-situations-don-t-behave-the-way-the/) [Howard Raiffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-raiffa/) > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [What astonishes many of us is not so much that human nature is fundamentally corrupt; we are astonished rather that it does not behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-irving-seiden/what-astonishes-many-of-us-is-not-so-much-that-human-nature-is/) [Morton Irving Seiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-irving-seiden/) > [Do we behave out of fear of punishment, or out of the demands of our heart? 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