Agency Quote by Matt Ridley
“Because it is a monopoly, government brings inefficiency and stagnation to most things it runs; government agencies pursue the inflation of their budgets rather than the service of their customers; pressure groups form an unholy alliance with agencies to extract more money from taxpayers for their members. Yet despite all this, most clever people still call for government to run more things and assume that if it did so, it would somehow be more perfect, more selfless, next time.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Evolution of Everything by Matt Ridley, 2017
He critiques government as inherently inefficient, prone to budget inflation and collusion with interest groups, yet people still idealize it.
In simple terms: Government often mismanages resources and seeks more money.
Key Takeaway
Question the efficiency of state control.
Themes
government
inefficiency
corruption
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
political
economic
When to use this quote
- policy making
- budget planning
- public services
- activism
Key Concepts
public choice theory
bureaucracy
political economy
Questions to Reflect On
- What alternatives can improve public service delivery?
- When is government intervention justified?
A Different Perspective
Not all government functions are wasteful; some provide essential services.
![“We have no clear ideas of the agency of [demonic] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but tells us plainly that he is always watching us, and desiring to sift us as wheat. I believe we give him no more than his due, when we charge him with having a…” quote by John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c75/john-newton-6629_abundance_we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of_2907.jpg)
