--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Professional politicians] don't mind if…" description: "\"[Professional politicians] don't mind if price controls cause shortages of health care. In fact, they welcome the prospect, because then they can impos..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/murray-rothbard-1563_care_professional-politicians-don-t-mind-if-p_417620.jpg" --- # \[Professional politicians\] don't mind if price controls… ![“[Professional politicians] don't mind if price controls cause shortages of health care. In fact, they welcome the prospect, because then they can impose rationing; they can impose priorities, and tell everyone how much of what kind of medical care they can have. And besides, ... there's that…” quote by Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/murray-rothbard-1563_care_professional-politicians-don-t-mind-if-p_417620.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/murray-rothbard-1563_care_professional-politicians-don-t-mind-if-p_417620.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77f/murray-rothbard-1563_care_professional-politicians-don-t-mind-if-p_417620.jpg) > “\[Professional politicians\] don't mind if price controls cause shortages of health care. In fact, they welcome the prospect, because then they can impose rationing; they can impose priorities, and tell everyone how much of what kind of medical care they can have. And besides, ... there's that deeply satisfying rush of power.” [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politicians may favor price controls because they create shortages that allow them to allocate resources and wield power. **In simple terms:** Politicians like controls that let them control scarce resources. Key Takeaway Beware of policies that concentrate power through scarcity. Themes politics economics power healthcare regulation Mood cautious critical analytical Type political economic ethical When to use this quote - healthcare budgeting - policy design - public administration - advocacy - legislative strategy Key Concepts public choice theory government failure resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - How do price controls affect patient outcomes? - What alternatives protect both affordability and availability? A Different Perspective Such controls can lead to inefficiencies and reduced access for those in need. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Cause Shortages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-shortages-3709214/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Health care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-care/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Impose Rationing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impose-rationing-3709211/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Medical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical/) [Medical care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical-care/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) [Rationing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationing/) [Rationing Impose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationing-impose-3709212/) [Satisfying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfying/) [Shortage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortage/) [Shortages Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortages-health-3709213/) [Welcome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welcome/) ## Related quotes > [I remember candy rationing until I was, like, 7.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-curry/i-remember-candy-rationing-until-i-was-like-7/) [Tim Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-curry/) > [“Even if their supplies of love are finite, they've figured out that life is, too, and they're no longer rationing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/even-if-their-supplies-of-love-are-finite-they-ve-figured-out-that/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [How, voters will ask, can we cover 50 million new people without any new doctors or nurses? 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