--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is a government supposed to do for…" description: "\"What is a government supposed to do for its people? To improve the standard of living, to help them get jobs, get kids to schools, and have access to m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/mo-ibrahim-3354_access_what-is-a-government-supposed-to-do-for_1089870.jpg" --- # What is a government supposed to do for its people? To… ![“What is a government supposed to do for its people? To improve the standard of living, to help them get jobs, get kids to schools, and have access to medicine and hospitals. Government may not directly provide these public goods and services, but government must be accountable for whether or not…” quote by Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/mo-ibrahim-3354_access_what-is-a-government-supposed-to-do-for_1089870.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/mo-ibrahim-3354_access_what-is-a-government-supposed-to-do-for_1089870.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/mo-ibrahim-3354_access_what-is-a-government-supposed-to-do-for_1089870.jpg) > “What is a government supposed to do for its people? To improve the standard of living, to help them get jobs, get kids to schools, and have access to medicine and hospitals. Government may not directly provide these public goods and services, but government must be accountable for whether or not they are delivered to citizens.” [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government’s role is to ensure essential services reach citizens, even if it doesn’t directly provide them. **In simple terms:** Government must guarantee delivery of health, education, jobs, and welfare. Key Takeaway Hold leaders accountable for outcomes. Themes public policy accountability social welfare service delivery Mood concerned determined Type policy analysis When to use this quote - budget planning - policy oversight - community advocacy - service audits Key Concepts social contract public goods citizen rights Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens effectively monitor service delivery? - What mechanisms ensure government accountability? A Different Perspective Implementation can be hampered by corruption or bureaucracy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Hospitals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hospitals/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Schools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schools/) ## Related quotes > [Africa's success stories are delivering the whole range of the public goods and services that citizens have a right to expect and are forging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/africa-s-success-stories-are-delivering-the-whole-range-of-the-public/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [I am to provide the public with beneficial shocks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hitchcock/i-am-to-provide-the-public-with-beneficial-shocks/) [Alfred Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-hitchcock/) > [The more guidance a central bank can provide the public about how policy is likely to evolve the greater the chance that market participants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/the-more-guidance-a-central-bank-can-provide-the-public-about-how/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [We've had public hearings. We've had interim reports, which our statute has encouraged us to provide to the public. We have brought the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/we-ve-had-public-hearings-we-ve-had-interim-reports-which-our-statute/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [Once you start to provide public services that have to be run under public rules, for example child protection, then it has to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-phillips/once-you-start-to-provide-public-services-that-have-to-be-run-under/) [Trevor Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-phillips/) > [It is our goal to provide full public access to as many files as we possibly can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-williams/it-is-our-goal-to-provide-full-public-access-to-as-many-files-as-we/) [Shirley Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-williams/) > [Government is supposed to be about how we do things together, and we can do that much more together if we use technology smartly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-pahlka/government-is-supposed-to-be-about-how-we-do-things-together-and-we/) [Jennifer Pahlka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-pahlka/) > [The government is supposed to provide a level playing field where people can compete fairly. It's not supposed to cut deals with one company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/the-government-is-supposed-to-provide-a-level-playing-field-where/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [There can only be one government, and the president has certain roles and duties, which are to hold the second key on money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/there-can-only-be-one-government-and-the-president-has-certain-roles/) [Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/) > [ \[Political\] conventions lend themselves to pandering, as few politicians can resist the temptation to tell a national television audience how well they will run… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/political-conventions-lend-themselves-to-pandering-as-few-politicians/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [You have to have a government that does give both money and energy to function in a leadership role modeling giving for the people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/you-have-to-have-a-government-that-does-give-both-money-and-energy-to/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) > [Government is supposed to solve people's problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neera-tanden/government-is-supposed-to-solve-people-s-problems/) [Neera Tanden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neera-tanden/) > [The government is supposed to respond to the will of the people. Not dictate to the people what they are doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/the-government-is-supposed-to-respond-to-the-will-of-the-people-not/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [We have no idea how much the government knows and how much the CIA even knows about average citizens. The government is not supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/we-have-no-idea-how-much-the-government-knows-and-how-much-the-cia/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [Government is supposed to lead by example in many cases. Government that's not particularly caring and is hands-off is not particularly inspiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-soetoro-ng/government-is-supposed-to-lead-by-example-in-many-cases-government/) [Maya Soetoro-Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-soetoro-ng/) ## More by Mo Ibrahim > [Experience counts in government even more than in business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/experience-counts-in-government-even-more-than-in-business/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [It's time Africa started listening to our young people instead of always telling them what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/it-s-time-africa-started-listening-to-our-young-people-instead-of/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [Remarkably, governments are beginning to embrace the idea that nothing enhances democracy more than giving voice and information to everybody in the country. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/remarkably-governments-are-beginning-to-embrace-the-idea-that-nothing/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [If economic progress is not translated into better quality of life and respect for citizens' rights, we will witness more Tahrir Squares in Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/if-economic-progress-is-not-translated-into-better-quality-of-life/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [Africa is progressing but maybe not in the way you think it is. Even if the overall picture looks good, we must all remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/africa-is-progressing-but-maybe-not-in-the-way-you-think-it-is-even/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [People never confess to failure. They should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/people-never-confess-to-failure-they-should/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [Governance has been at the heart of the work of the Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations and is a clear focus in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/governance-has-been-at-the-heart-of-the-work-of-the-oxford-martin/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [There's no point in trying to hoard money after life, so better really to share with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/there-s-no-point-in-trying-to-hoard-money-after-life-so-better-really/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [I need to be free, to speak the unspeakable. You can't do that in office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/i-need-to-be-free-to-speak-the-unspeakable-you-can-t-do-that-in-office/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [If we cannot accurately measure poverty, we surely cannot accurately measure our efforts to tackle it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/if-we-cannot-accurately-measure-poverty-we-surely-cannot-accurately/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [Business is global. Countries need to react to that; taxes need to be paid where profit arises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/business-is-global-countries-need-to-react-to-that-taxes-need-to-be/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [I don't subscribe to the narrative that Africa is backward because of colonialism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/i-don-t-subscribe-to-the-narrative-that-africa-is-backward-because-of/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [Africa offers the highest return on investment in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/africa-offers-the-highest-return-on-investment-in-the-world/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [Governance is everything. Without governance we have nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/governance-is-everything-without-governance-we-have-nothing/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [When you ask people what they think of Africa, they think of AIDS, genocide, disasters, famine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/when-you-ask-people-what-they-think-of-africa-they-think-of-aids/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) [Explore all 133 Mo Ibrahim quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) ## More Access quotes > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [You can disseminate your art, and it's all such easy access now. The upside to it is that more people are creating than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/you-can-disseminate-your-art-and-it-s-all-such-easy-access-now-the/) [Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/) > [It's the same with this idea of a literate public, and also of a democracy in which people have access to and really read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-s-the-same-with-this-idea-of-a-literate-public-and-also-of-a/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [Leslie Stein's comics give readers privileged access to a complete and wholly original world of gently skewed wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/leslie-stein-s-comics-give-readers-privileged-access-to-a-complete/) [Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/) > [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Because the Internet's there, I have access to a lot of the legends, like Fela Kuti. I used to watch a lot of Fela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/because-the-internet-s-there-i-have-access-to-a-lot-of-the-legends/) [King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/) [Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/) > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Now that I'm more middle class, I have access to consumer goods. I do enjoy feminine frippery, feminine doo-da, stuff like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/now-that-i-m-more-middle-class-i-have-access-to-consumer-goods-i-do/) [Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/) > [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/) Andrew Nikiforuk > [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. 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