Commodity Quote by Lawrence Lessig
“Permission from the government is an expensive commodity. New ideas rarely have this kind of support. Old ideas often have deep legislative connections to defend them against the new.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Harvard Law School commencement, 2004
Government support is costly, favoring established ideas and hindering innovative proposals.
In simple terms: Government favors old ideas over new ones.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for independent funding for innovation.
Themes
politics
innovation
policy
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- startup funding
- policy reform
- grassroots advocacy
- academic research
Key Concepts
Regulatory capture
public goods
Questions to Reflect On
- How can innovators secure resources without political backing?
- What mechanisms can democratize idea support?
A Different Perspective
Change often requires navigating entrenched interests.
![“It is a law of nature that everything run by the government will get more expensive and worse over time. Everything run by the private sector will get better and cheaper over time. The fact that [Obamacare] starts this badly does not bode well…We want healthcare run on the same system that gave us…” quote by Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/38c/ann-coulter-469_capitalism_it-is-a-law-of-nature-that-everything-ru_2470226.jpg)
