Agency Quote by Heather Mac Donald
“Federal consent decrees - agreements between the federal government and a local agency to change how that agency operates - are burdensome, costly, and rarely justified.”
About This Quote
Source Article: The Wall Street Journal, 2022
Federal consent decrees often impose heavy costs and administrative burdens, yet they are rarely justified by clear benefits.
In simple terms: Decrees can be costly and unnecessary.
Key Takeaway
Critically assess the need for each decree.
Themes
law
public policy
government oversight
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
policy
legal
When to use this quote
- municipal budgeting
- school district reforms
- law enforcement policies
Key Concepts
cost‑benefit analysis
regulatory reform
accountability
Questions to Reflect On
- When is a decree truly necessary?
- How can oversight be improved?
A Different Perspective
Some decrees address systemic issues that other tools cannot fix.
![“Who is a good man? He who keeps the decrees of the fathers, and both human and divine laws. [Lat., Vir bonus est quis? Qui consulta patrum, qui leges juraque servat.]” quote by Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/578/horace-172_bonus_who-is-a-good-man-he-who-keeps-the-decre_887036.jpg)
![“We have no clear ideas of the agency of [demonic] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but tells us plainly that he is always watching us, and desiring to sift us as wheat. I believe we give him no more than his due, when we charge him with having a…” quote by John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c75/john-newton-6629_abundance_we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of_2907.jpg)
