---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's widely accepted that it is…"
description: "\"It's widely accepted that it is reasonable for a government to use tax policy to change behaviour.\" — Jacob Rees-Mogg"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/jacob-rees-mogg-5991_change_it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonab_952064.jpg"
---

#  It's widely accepted that it is reasonable for a…

![“It's widely accepted that it is reasonable for a government to use tax policy to change behaviour.” quote by Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/jacob-rees-mogg-5991_change_it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonab_952064.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/jacob-rees-mogg-5991_change_it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonab_952064.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/jacob-rees-mogg-5991_change_it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonab_952064.jpg)

> “It's widely accepted that it is reasonable for a government to use tax policy to change behaviour.”

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

## About This Quote

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

Governments use taxes to steer public behavior, a widely accepted policy tool.

**In simple terms:** Taxes can shape behavior.

Key Takeaway

Design effective tax incentives.

Themes

public policy economics behavioral economics

Mood

analytical pragmatic

Type

policy economic

When to use this quote

- environmental regulation
- healthcare incentives
- education funding
- traffic reduction

Key Concepts

tax law public health

Questions to Reflect On

- How to balance effectiveness with fairness?
- What alternatives exist?

A Different Perspective

Tax measures can be regressive, affecting low‑income groups.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Accepted Reasonable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepted-reasonable-1703733/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [Policy Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy-change-553057/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Reasonable Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasonable-government-1703732/) [Tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax/) [Tax Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax-policy-384111/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Widely Accepted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/widely-accepted-1381789/)

## Related quotes

> [I think it's reasonable that the government, when it has a warrant from a court, when it's exposed to scrutiny by a legal process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-think-it-s-reasonable-that-the-government-when-it-has-a-warrant/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [I think we should have basically the same tax policy that Germany, Japan, the U.K., everybody else has, which is a tax rate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-we-should-have-basically-the-same-tax-policy-that-germany/)

[Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/)

> [I think we have a tax policy that was designed before Microsoft even went public. I think we've got to change - we're at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-t-chambers/i-think-we-have-a-tax-policy-that-was-designed-before-microsoft-even/)

[John T. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-t-chambers/)

> [Tax policy should reflect a country's values and address its problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/tax-policy-should-reflect-a-country-s-values-and-address-its-problems/)

[Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/)

> [Policy change is nothing if it's not patient work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-banerjee/policy-change-is-nothing-if-it-s-not-patient-work/)

[Abhijit Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-banerjee/)

> [There are many structural changes, both in organizational practice and social policy, that must also change to enable men and women to have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-d-friedman/there-are-many-structural-changes-both-in-organizational-practice-and/)

[Stewart D. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-d-friedman/)

> [Policy change is most effectively enacted on the local and state level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-vialet/policy-change-is-most-effectively-enacted-on-the-local-and-state-level/)

[Jill Vialet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-vialet/)

> [“If a policy isn’t working, don’t change the policy—change its name. That should be taught in Politics 101.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/if-a-policy-isn-t-working-don-t-change-the-policy-change-its-name/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [The sad thing is, our foreign policy WILL change eventually, as Rome's did, when all budgetary and monetary tricks to fund it are exhausted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-sad-thing-is-our-foreign-policy-will-change-eventually-as-rome-s/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [You can't hope for a better result as a campaigner than to have the prime minister announce a major policy change within 48 hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/you-can-t-hope-for-a-better-result-as-a-campaigner-than-to-have-the/)

[Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/)

> [A false conclusion once arrived at and widely accepted is not easily dislodged and the less it is understood the more tenaciously it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-cantor/a-false-conclusion-once-arrived-at-and-widely-accepted-is-not-easily/)

[Georg Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-cantor/)

> [If you ever have a new idea, and it's really new, you have to expect that it won't be widely accepted immediately. It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalyn-sussman-yalow/if-you-ever-have-a-new-idea-and-it-s-really-new-you-have-to-expect/)

[Rosalyn Sussman Yalow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalyn-sussman-yalow/)

> [The value of an arts education is widely accepted, especially in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-newsom/the-value-of-an-arts-education-is-widely-accepted-especially-in/)

[Gavin Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-newsom/)

> [Since the beginning of the internet era, it has been pretty widely accepted that when you join an online service, whatever data you put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lyons/since-the-beginning-of-the-internet-era-it-has-been-pretty-widely/)

[Daniel Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lyons/)

> [In this society these days, women are widely accepted in all kinds of cross-gender areas. So yeah, it's time!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danica-patrick/in-this-society-these-days-women-are-widely-accepted-in-all-kinds-of/)

[Danica Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danica-patrick/)

## More by Jacob Rees-Mogg

> [It is hard to see taxing plastic bags as one of the great issues of our time that merits the foremost place in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/it-is-hard-to-see-taxing-plastic-bags-as-one-of-the-great-issues-of/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [I believe that politicians should implement the promises that they've given in manifestos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/i-believe-that-politicians-should-implement-the-promises-that-they-ve/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [I think that conservative principles have a broad appeal, and you should state them boldly, and the point of a Conservative election is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/i-think-that-conservative-principles-have-a-broad-appeal-and-you/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [Subsidising inefficient businesses does not encourage them to become more competitive and means that extra money has to be taken from tax payers for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/subsidising-inefficient-businesses-does-not-encourage-them-to-become/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [It is of considerable importance that politicians stick to their commitments or do not make such commitments in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/it-is-of-considerable-importance-that-politicians-stick-to-their/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [If we want to change a law, we can do that in Parliament. That is a democratic right that has often been taken from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/if-we-want-to-change-a-law-we-can-do-that-in-parliament-that-is-a/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [We are the Conservative and Unionist party. No Conservative would do anything to harm the union, and that crucially includes Northern Ireland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/we-are-the-conservative-and-unionist-party-no-conservative-would-do/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [I think, with a negotiation, you have to go in knowing what you want, knowing what your bottom line is, and knowing what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/i-think-with-a-negotiation-you-have-to-go-in-knowing-what-you-want/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [A constitutional monarchy requires the monarch to be above politics but to be fully informed about politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/a-constitutional-monarchy-requires-the-monarch-to-be-above-politics/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [It is obviously sensible the crossing of a border ought not to protect a criminal from the consequences of his crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/it-is-obviously-sensible-the-crossing-of-a-border-ought-not-to/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [Press freedom has great virtues. It is not about irresponsible scandal-mongering, although that may be part of the picture. It is a means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/press-freedom-has-great-virtues-it-is-not-about-irresponsible-scandal/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [In the U.S., free speech and the press are protected by the First Amendment. It has a clarity unmatched by modern legislators and declares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/in-the-u-s-free-speech-and-the-press-are-protected-by-the-first/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [I can't see the point in being in politics if you're not yourself. If you're simply interested in implementing other people's policies, then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/i-can-t-see-the-point-in-being-in-politics-if-you-re-not-yourself-if/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [When Margaret Thatcher was leader, she and Michael Heseltine were hardly soulmates, but she would not have allowed personal rivalry to take the heat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/when-margaret-thatcher-was-leader-she-and-michael-heseltine-were/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

> [London's central role in the financial market would be undermined if wealthy foreigners did not want to come here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/london-s-central-role-in-the-financial-market-would-be-undermined-if/)

[Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

[Explore all 100 Jacob Rees-Mogg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/)

## More Change quotes

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [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/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/)

[Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/)

> [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/)

[William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/)

[Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/)

> [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

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

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

[Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's widely accepted that it is reasonable for a government to use tax policy to change behaviour.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jacob Rees-Mogg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonable-for-a-government-to-use/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonable-for-a-government-to-use/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/jacob-rees-mogg-5991_change_it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonab_952064.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/jacob-rees-mogg-5991_change_it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonab_952064.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61c/jacob-rees-mogg-5991_change_it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonab_952064.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's widely accepted that it is reasonable for a government to use tax policy to change behaviour.” — Jacob Rees-Mogg",
                "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": "Jacob Rees-Mogg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's widely accepted that it is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonable-for-a-government-to-use/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/it-s-widely-accepted-that-it-is-reasonable-for-a-government-to-use/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
