Big things Quote by John Kenneth Galbraith
“You will find that the State is the kind of organization which, though it does big things badly, does small things badly, too.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Affluent Society, 1958
The state tends to be inefficient both in large-scale projects and in everyday tasks.
In simple terms: Government often fails big and small.
Key Takeaway
Expect mixed performance from institutions.
Themes
government
efficiency
policy
public administration
Mood
skeptical
critical
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- public services
- infrastructure projects
- regulatory decisions
Key Concepts
bureaucracy
institutional failure
scale effects
Questions to Reflect On
- How can citizens hold governments accountable for minor failures?
- What reforms improve everyday government performance?
A Different Perspective
Even small tasks can suffer from systemic inefficiencies.
![“You will find that [the] State [Department] is the kind of organisation which, though it does big things badly, does small things badly too.” quote by John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/24c/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_big-things_you-will-find-that-the-state-department_176110.jpg)
