--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I decided this early on at Justice: if…" description: "\"I decided this early on at Justice: if the traditional way was the most effective way of doing something, then we'd maintain it. But if it was not func..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/john-ashcroft-9612_continuing_i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-th_299844.jpg" --- # I decided this early on at Justice: if the traditional way… ![“I decided this early on at Justice: if the traditional way was the most effective way of doing something, then we'd maintain it. But if it was not functioning at optimum levels, we would be doing the country a disservice by continuing to do things "like we've always done them."” quote by John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/john-ashcroft-9612_continuing_i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-th_299844.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/john-ashcroft-9612_continuing_i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-th_299844.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/john-ashcroft-9612_continuing_i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-th_299844.jpg) > “I decided this early on at Justice: if the traditional way was the most effective way of doing something, then we'd maintain it. But if it was not functioning at optimum levels, we would be doing the country a disservice by continuing to do things "like we've always done them."” [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that policies should be kept only if they work well; otherwise they must be reformed to serve the nation better. **In simple terms:** Keep effective policies; change ineffective ones. Key Takeaway Evaluate and adapt policies. Themes policy government efficacy reform accountability Mood reflective critical Type political policy When to use this quote - government budgeting - regulatory reform - public health initiatives - education standards Key Concepts public administration policy analysis institutional inertia Questions to Reflect On - Are current practices truly optimal? - What criteria determine effectiveness? A Different Perspective Changing entrenched systems can face political resistance and bureaucratic inertia. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Continuing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continuing/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Disservice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disservice/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Early Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-justice-2867197/) [Effective way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effective-way/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Justice Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice-traditional-2867196/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Optimum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimum/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional/) [Traditional Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional-way-396523/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [It's easy to make something avant garde. To do something in the traditional way is much more brave in the sense that you're -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fukunaga/it-s-easy-to-make-something-avant-garde-to-do-something-in-the/) [Cary Fukunaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fukunaga/) > [I know many Canadians are fed up with the traditional way of doing politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxime-bernier/i-know-many-canadians-are-fed-up-with-the-traditional-way-of-doing/) [Maxime Bernier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxime-bernier/) > [I'm a bit traditional in the way that I think that a woman draws her energy from the house. Food is a really nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-m-a-bit-traditional-in-the-way-that-i-think-that-a-woman-draws-her/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [I believe in celebrating any festival in the traditional way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshi-khurana/i-believe-in-celebrating-any-festival-in-the-traditional-way/) [Himanshi Khurana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshi-khurana/) > [If a man does away with his traditional way of living and throws away his good customs, he had better first make certain that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ruark/if-a-man-does-away-with-his-traditional-way-of-living-and-throws-away/) [Robert Ruark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ruark/) > [You could either go the traditional way or the other way. I went the other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macy-gray/you-could-either-go-the-traditional-way-or-the-other-way-i-went-the/) [Macy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macy-gray/) > [It's really important to have life strategies and part of that is sort of knowing where you want to go so you can have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/it-s-really-important-to-have-life-strategies-and-part-of-that-is/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [I like the traditional way of doing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-weymouth/i-like-the-traditional-way-of-doing-things/) [Emma Weymouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-weymouth/) > [Changes in the traditional way of building are only permitted if they are an improvement. Otherwise stay with what is traditional, for truth, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/changes-in-the-traditional-way-of-building-are-only-permitted-if-they/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [“Shall we try this the traditional way?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-ellen-malpas/shall-we-try-this-the-traditional-way/) [Jodi Ellen Malpas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-ellen-malpas/) > [“When we take away from a man his traditional way of life, his customs, hi religion, we had better make certain to replace it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ruark/when-we-take-away-from-a-man-his-traditional-way-of-life-his-customs/) [Robert Ruark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ruark/) > [I never thought I'd do otherwise, even before I met A.J. I'm traditional that way. Once we have children, I'd love for them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lynn-sigler/i-never-thought-i-d-do-otherwise-even-before-i-met-a-j-i-m/) [Jamie Lynn Sigler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lynn-sigler/) > [I came up, I suppose, a fairly traditional way. I went to art college. I always wanted to be a stills photographer, really, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/i-came-up-i-suppose-a-fairly-traditional-way-i-went-to-art-college-i/) [Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/) > [I think the most experimental way to a film is to tell the story the traditional way, because everyone is doing the other thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-think-the-most-experimental-way-to-a-film-is-to-tell-the-story-the/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [The most effective way to win people to Jesus is to treat them the way Jesus would day in and day out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-peterson/the-most-effective-way-to-win-people-to-jesus-is-to-treat-them-the/) [Jacob Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-peterson/) ## More by John Ashcroft > [An FBI agent ought to be able to surf the net and look for sites that instruct people how to make bombs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/an-fbi-agent-ought-to-be-able-to-surf-the-net-and-look-for-sites-that/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [The FBI has long been a part of the security for the nation's banks because bank robberies have been a priority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-fbi-has-long-been-a-part-of-the-security-for-the-nation-s-banks/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [Our priorities should be: recognizing the voice of God and responding to the voice of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/our-priorities-should-be-recognizing-the-voice-of-god-and-responding/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [People who commit crimes should be responsible for those crimes. It doesn't matter whether they're priests or ministers or atheists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/people-who-commit-crimes-should-be-responsible-for-those-crimes-it/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [We must not descend to the level of those who perpetrated Tuesday's violence by targeting individuals based on their race, their religion, or their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-must-not-descend-to-the-level-of-those-who-perpetrated-tuesday-s/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [We've got a major problem in our culture, as it relates to the Internet and pornography and child pornography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-ve-got-a-major-problem-in-our-culture-as-it-relates-to-the/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [The FBI. is a massive culture. It's been a culture that served America well, and it's been focused on prosecution. But what we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-fbi-is-a-massive-culture-it-s-been-a-culture-that-served-america/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [Any citizen who's offended ... can leave the service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the-service/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [I feel the best way to ensure Americans' freedom is to tighten restrictions on that freedom in any way possible. Only through wiretaps, illegal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/i-feel-the-best-way-to-ensure-americans-freedom-is-to-tighten/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [Frankly, the president, during the first opportunity I had to be in a Cabinet meeting, before we started the meeting, he said, Folks, before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/frankly-the-president-during-the-first-opportunity-i-had-to-be-in-a/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [Nothing remains great without a capacity to change and to accommodate the conditions of a changing world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/nothing-remains-great-without-a-capacity-to-change-and-to-accommodate/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [Unique among the nations, America recognized the source of our character as being godly and eternal, not being civic and temporal. And because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/unique-among-the-nations-america-recognized-the-source-of-our/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [What did John Ashcroft say about moderates, he said, quote, there are two things you find in the middle of the road, a moderate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/what-did-john-ashcroft-say-about-moderates-he-said-quote-there-are/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [We must embrace the power of faith, but we must never confuse politics and piety. For me, may I say that it is against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-must-embrace-the-power-of-faith-but-we-must-never-confuse-politics/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [In this new war, our enemy's platoons infiltrate our borders, quietly blending in with visiting tourists, students, and workers. They move unnoticed through our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/in-this-new-war-our-enemy-s-platoons-infiltrate-our-borders-quietly/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Explore all 71 John Ashcroft quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) ## More Continuing quotes > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [It's important to recognize that expanding the circle of opportunity and increasing the democratic potential of our own society, as well as those across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-s-important-to-recognize-that-expanding-the-circle-of-opportunity/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Further conceive, I beg, that a stone, while continuing in motion, should be capable of thinking and knowing, that it is endeavoring, as far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/further-conceive-i-beg-that-a-stone-while-continuing-in-motion-should/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I dream of continuing to dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/i-dream-of-continuing-to-dream/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [I describe family values as responsibility towards others, increase of tolerance, compromise, support, flexibility. And essentially the things I call the silent song of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-minuchin/i-describe-family-values-as-responsibility-towards-others-increase-of/) [Salvador Minuchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-minuchin/) > [You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/you-can-measure-a-programmer-s-perspective-by-noting-his-attitude-on/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [What business needs now is exactly what women are able to provide, and at the very time when women are surging into the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-helgesen/what-business-needs-now-is-exactly-what-women-are-able-to-provide-and/) [Sally Helgesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-helgesen/) > [The deepest courage we can exercise is continuing to believe in our dreams until we make them come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/the-deepest-courage-we-can-exercise-is-continuing-to-believe-in-our/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [It's very easy for me to say what success is. I think success is connecting with an audience who understands you and having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-s-very-easy-for-me-to-say-what-success-is-i-think-success-is/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/people-often-say-that-humans-have-always-eaten-animals-as-if-this-is/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [A child-like man is not a man whose development has been arrested; on the contrary, he is a man who has given himself a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/a-child-like-man-is-not-a-man-whose-development-has-been-arrested-on/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Put simply, the Bush administration policy in the Middle East is continuing to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-corsi/put-simply-the-bush-administration-policy-in-the-middle-east-is/) [Jerome Corsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-corsi/) > [Faith implies a continuing search, not necessarily a final answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/faith-implies-a-continuing-search-not-necessarily-a-final-answer/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [It is evident, indeed, that such a doctrine, taken by itself in a literal manner, had no future. The world, in continuing to exist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/it-is-evident-indeed-that-such-a-doctrine-taken-by-itself-in-a/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [For women who do not love us, as for the "disappeared", knowing that we no longer have any hope does not prevent us form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/for-women-who-do-not-love-us-as-for-the-disappeared-knowing-that-we/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) [Browse all 782 Continuing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continuing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I decided this early on at Justice: if the traditional way was the most effective way of doing something, then we'd maintain it. But if it was not functioning at optimum levels, we would be doing the country a disservice by continuing to do things \"like we've always done them.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ashcroft" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-the-traditional-way-was-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Continuing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-the-traditional-way-was-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/john-ashcroft-9612_continuing_i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-th_299844.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/john-ashcroft-9612_continuing_i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-th_299844.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/john-ashcroft-9612_continuing_i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-th_299844.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I decided this early on at Justice: if the traditional way was the most effective way of doing something…” — John Ashcroft", "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": "John Ashcroft", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I decided this early on at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-the-traditional-way-was-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-the-traditional-way-was-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 } } ] } ```