--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History tells us that America does best…" description: "\"History tells us that America does best when the private sector is energetic and entrepreneurial and the government is attentive and engaged. Who among..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e21/jon-meacham-2863_america_history-tells-us-that-america-does-best_587529.png" --- # History tells us that America does best when the private… ![“History tells us that America does best when the private sector is energetic and entrepreneurial and the government is attentive and engaged. Who among us, really, would, looking back, wish to edit out either sphere at the entire expense of the other?” quote by Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e21/jon-meacham-2863_america_history-tells-us-that-america-does-best_587529.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e21/jon-meacham-2863_america_history-tells-us-that-america-does-best_587529.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e21/jon-meacham-2863_america_history-tells-us-that-america-does-best_587529.png) > “History tells us that America does best when the private sector is energetic and entrepreneurial and the government is attentive and engaged. Who among us, really, would, looking back, wish to edit out either sphere at the entire expense of the other?” [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America thrives when private enterprise is dynamic and government is responsive; removing either harms the whole system. **In simple terms:** Balance between business and government is essential. Key Takeaway Support both sectors together. Themes economics government private sector public policy collaboration Mood thoughtful balanced Type analytical policy‑oriented When to use this quote - policy making - business strategy - community development - public administration Key Concepts capitalism public‑private partnership civic engagement Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure mutual accountability? - What policies foster healthy collaboration? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on one side can create imbalance or neglect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Energetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energetic/) [Entrepreneurial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurial/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-back/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Private sector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-sector/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [The United States of America does not have friends; it has interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-foster-dulles/the-united-states-of-america-does-not-have-friends-it-has-interests/) [John Foster Dulles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-foster-dulles/) > [America does not stand still...and neither will I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-does-not-stand-still-and-neither-will-i/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Just because you have a right to do something in America does not mean it is the right thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/just-because-you-have-a-right-to-do-something-in-america-does-not/) [John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/) > [Obama does not represent America. Nor does he represent anything what our forefathers stood for. This country is basically built on an attitude. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-scott/obama-does-not-represent-america-nor-does-he-represent-anything-what/) [Luke Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-scott/) > [“Maybe that's what living in America does to you: it spreads you into far distances until you're just little bits rolling apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-budhos/maybe-that-s-what-living-in-america-does-to-you-it-spreads-you-into/) Marina Budhos > [I think it is essential that America does not stumble into a stupid war with Iran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/i-think-it-is-essential-that-america-does-not-stumble-into-a-stupid/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [If America does not use her vast resources of wealth to end poverty and make it possible for all of God's children to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-america-does-not-use-her-vast-resources-of-wealth-to-end-poverty/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [When the United States of America does things in its best interests, it is hated. 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I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/very-little-of-what-america-does-is-actually-bad-and-i-don-t-think-it/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [America does not stand with dictators, and we never will and we shall never.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/america-does-not-stand-with-dictators-and-we-never-will-and-we-shall/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [In fact, American presidents never apologize for what America does in war, because in the American mind, all its wars are defensive, always fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macdonald/in-fact-american-presidents-never-apologize-for-what-america-does-in/) [Neil Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macdonald/) > [Investment in America does not just benefit the United States - it benefits the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cohn/investment-in-america-does-not-just-benefit-the-united-states-it/) [Gary Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cohn/) ## More by Jon Meacham > [Scripture is not inerrant; believers are called to interpret biblical texts in light of tradition and reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/scripture-is-not-inerrant-believers-are-called-to-interpret-biblical/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [As a southerner born after the epic events of the civil rights movement, I've always wondered how on earth people of good will could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/as-a-southerner-born-after-the-epic-events-of-the-civil-rights/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [We are now living in a post-Roosevelt, post-Reagan universe. What comes next will not be post-partisan, because faction is an intrinsic human impulse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/we-are-now-living-in-a-post-roosevelt-post-reagan-universe-what-comes/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“his other hand. Sensitive to his guest’s affliction, Churchill realized that “every step” was”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/his-other-hand-sensitive-to-his-guest-s-affliction-churchill-realized/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [Too many activists have convinced themselves that they have a monopoly on truth. A little humility and a sense of history could move us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/too-many-activists-have-convinced-themselves-that-they-have-a/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [In the fullness of time, I suspect that bigotry against homosexuals will seem as repugnant as racial prejudice does today. 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If we all took all scripture at the same level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/only-the-most-unapologetic-biblical-fundamentalists-for-instance-take/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“There was, of course, a more immediate point to frequent gatherings of lawmakers, diplomats, and cabinet officers at the president’s table. 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And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. 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