--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Today, if you invent a better mousetrap…" description: "\"Today, if you invent a better mousetrap, the government comes along with a better mouse.\" — Ronald Reagan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ronald-reagan-119_government_today-if-you-invent-a-better-mousetrap-t_1829902.jpg" --- # Today, if you invent a better mousetrap, the government… ![“Today, if you invent a better mousetrap, the government comes along with a better mouse.” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ronald-reagan-119_government_today-if-you-invent-a-better-mousetrap-t_1829902.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ronald-reagan-119_government_today-if-you-invent-a-better-mousetrap-t_1829902.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/ronald-reagan-119_government_today-if-you-invent-a-better-mousetrap-t_1829902.jpg) > “Today, if you invent a better mousetrap, the government comes along with a better mouse.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques bureaucratic inertia that can stifle innovation despite better inventions. **In simple terms:** Government may counteract new inventions. Key Takeaway Advocate for policies that protect innovators. Themes innovation government regulation Mood cautious optimistic Type political advisory When to use this quote - tech startups - policy making - product development Key Concepts public policy entrepreneurship Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards are needed for new tech? - How can innovators work with regulators? A Different Perspective Regulation can also ensure safety and fairness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Mouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-mouse-430068/) [Better Mousetrap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-mousetrap-517531/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Invent Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invent-better-509830/) [Mousetrap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mousetrap/) [Mousetrap Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mousetrap-government-2265206/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [If you build a better mousetrap, Nature will build a better mouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-block/if-you-build-a-better-mousetrap-nature-will-build-a-better-mouse/) [Lawrence Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-block/) > [“Whenever man comes up with a better mousetrap, nature immediately comes up with a better mouse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-carswell/whenever-man-comes-up-with-a-better-mousetrap-nature-immediately/) [James D. Carswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-carswell/) > [This decade is strewn with examples of bright people who thought they built a better mousetrap that could consistently extract abnormal returns from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/this-decade-is-strewn-with-examples-of-bright-people-who-thought-they/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [“... the object of learning was not to build a better mousetrap but to ask a better question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/the-object-of-learning-was-not-to-build-a-better-mousetrap-but-to-ask/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [Before you build a better mousetrap, it helps to know if there are any mice out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/before-you-build-a-better-mousetrap-it-helps-to-know-if-there-are-any/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [We're simple-minded, the team at Hulu, which is, we think if we can obsess over quality and build a better mousetrap, that good things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kilar/we-re-simple-minded-the-team-at-hulu-which-is-we-think-if-we-can/) [Jason Kilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kilar/) > [If you think you have a better mousetrap or car, or shirt, or whatever, you've got to tell people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-clow/if-you-think-you-have-a-better-mousetrap-or-car-or-shirt-or-whatever/) [Lee Clow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-clow/) > [Building good technology starts with strong curiosity, pursuit of hard problems and exploration, wherever it leads. It isn't necessarily high-minded. Rather, on an important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-johnson/building-good-technology-starts-with-strong-curiosity-pursuit-of-hard/) [Bryan Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-johnson/) > [If you build a better mousetrap, regardless of your marketing budget, the world will beat its own path to your door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-kelman/if-you-build-a-better-mousetrap-regardless-of-your-marketing-budget/) [Glenn Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-kelman/) > [Building a better mousetrap merely results in smarter mice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/building-a-better-mousetrap-merely-results-in-smarter-mice/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [If a man can... make a better mousetrap, the world will make a beaten path to his door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-a-man-can-make-a-better-mousetrap-the-world-will-make-a-beaten/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“I used to love the saying, 'If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.' It sounds great,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hawkins/i-used-to-love-the-saying-if-you-build-a-better-mousetrap-the-world/) [John Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hawkins/) > [If you build a better mousetrap, you will catch better mice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gobel/if-you-build-a-better-mousetrap-you-will-catch-better-mice/) [George Gobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gobel/) > [Money has no color. If you can build a better mousetrap, it won't matter whether you're black or white. People will buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-g-gaston/money-has-no-color-if-you-can-build-a-better-mousetrap-it-won-t/) [A. G. Gaston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-gaston/) > [Anyone who has invented a better mousetrap, or the contemporary equivalent, can expect to be harassed by strangers demanding that you read their unpublished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/anyone-who-has-invented-a-better-mousetrap-or-the-contemporary/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. 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/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! 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George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More Government quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. 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