--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: …it is the public sector I find more…" description: "\"“…it is the public sector I find more interesting, because governments and other non-market institutions have long suffered from the innovation malaise..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb2/steven-johnson-9014_good-ideas_it-is-the-public-sector-i-find-more-inte_2533036.jpg" --- # …it is the public sector I find more interesting, because… ![“…it is the public sector I find more interesting, because governments and other non-market institutions have long suffered from the innovation malaise of top-heavy bureaucracies. Today, these institutions have an opportunity to fundamentally alter the way they cultivate and promote good ideas. The…” quote by Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb2/steven-johnson-9014_good-ideas_it-is-the-public-sector-i-find-more-inte_2533036.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb2/steven-johnson-9014_good-ideas_it-is-the-public-sector-i-find-more-inte_2533036.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb2/steven-johnson-9014_good-ideas_it-is-the-public-sector-i-find-more-inte_2533036.jpg) > ““…it is the public sector I find more interesting, because governments and other non-market institutions have long suffered from the innovation malaise of top-heavy bureaucracies. Today, these institutions have an opportunity to fundamentally alter the way they cultivate and promote good ideas. The more the government thinks of itself as an open platform instead of a centralized bureaucracy, the better it will be for all of us, citizens and activists, and entrepreneurs alike.”” [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Governments can become more innovative by shedding heavy bureaucracy and acting as open platforms for ideas, benefiting citizens and entrepreneurs alike. **In simple terms:** Governments should act like open platforms, not rigid bureaucracies. Key Takeaway Encourage openness and idea sharing in public institutions. Themes innovation government open platforms bureaucracy citizen engagement Mood optimistic critical Type policy inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - startup incubators - civic tech - public‑private partnerships Key Concepts public sector reform platform thinking collaborative governance Questions to Reflect On - How can governments balance openness with accountability? - What incentives can motivate bureaucrats to adopt platform thinking? A Different Perspective Open platforms may still face political resistance and funding limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bureaucracy Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bureaucracy-better-1361911/) [Good ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-ideas/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Thinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-thinks-1361910/) [Governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governments/) [Ideas Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-government-491052/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Public sector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-sector/) ## Related quotes > [A cardinal rule of bureaucracy is that it is better to extend an error than to admit a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/a-cardinal-rule-of-bureaucracy-is-that-it-is-better-to-extend-an/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [People who create things nowadays can expect to be prosecuted by highly moralistic people who are incapable of creating anything. There is no way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/people-who-create-things-nowadays-can-expect-to-be-prosecuted-by/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [“There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-schroeder/there-are-two-ideas-of-government-there-are-those-who-believe-that-if/) [Alice Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-schroeder/) > [There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that, if you will only legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, their prosperity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/there-are-two-ideas-of-government-there-are-those-who-believe-that-if-2/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [It would be wonderful if the public sector were always great, or always terrible; or if the private sector were always great, or always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/it-would-be-wonderful-if-the-public-sector-were-always-great-or/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“It’s hard for me to guess what the Chinese government thinks,” he said. “A responsible government that loves its people would be moved and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-hard-for-me-to-guess-what-the-chinese-government-thinks-he-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Chinese government thinks China and the U.S. should develop a constructive relationship of cooperation,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiang-zemin/the-chinese-government-thinks-china-and-the-u-s-should-develop-a/) [Jiang Zemin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiang-zemin/) > [I said to myself, "If the government thinks I'm an artist, I must be one."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/i-said-to-myself-if-the-government-thinks-i-m-an-artist-i-must-be-one/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [There is a real sense of anger among many people who are married that the government, any government, thinks it has the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hammond/there-is-a-real-sense-of-anger-among-many-people-who-are-married-that/) [Philip Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hammond/) > [We cannot ever accept a government that thinks they can get away with tiny targets on climate which they then don't achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-may/we-cannot-ever-accept-a-government-that-thinks-they-can-get-away-with/) [Elizabeth May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-may/) > [Anyone who thinks you can pay $3,100 to the federal government and thinks you can get that money back completely in services - like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-gohmert/anyone-who-thinks-you-can-pay-3-100-to-the-federal-government-and/) [Louie Gohmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-gohmert/) > [Freedom of opinion can only exist when the government thinks itself secure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/freedom-of-opinion-can-only-exist-when-the-government-thinks-itself/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [A government is one that thinks and hears the voice of the poor. A government must live for the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/a-government-is-one-that-thinks-and-hears-the-voice-of-the-poor-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [It's the feeling right from the beginning that the government is not on your side, the government thinks you're going to use this opportunity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/it-s-the-feeling-right-from-the-beginning-that-the-government-is-not/) [Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/) > [Well they have an input into policy but in the end governments are elected to put together policy but the good thing about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-anderson/well-they-have-an-input-into-policy-but-in-the-end-governments-are/) [John Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-anderson/) ## More by Steven Johnson > [Most new movements start this way: hundreds or thousands of individuals and groups, working in different fields and different locations, start thinking about change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/most-new-movements-start-this-way-hundreds-or-thousands-of/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [“Edison invented the lightbulb the way Steve Jobs invented the MP3 player: he wasn’t the first, but he was the first to make something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/edison-invented-the-lightbulb-the-way-steve-jobs-invented-the-mp3/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [“Early risers strolling along the Thames would see the toshers wading through the muck of low tide, dressed almost comically in flowing velveteen coats,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/early-risers-strolling-along-the-thames-would-see-the-toshers-wading/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [“Build a tangled bank.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/build-a-tangled-bank/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [If we didn't have genetic mutations, we wouldn't have us. You need error to open the door to the adjacent possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/if-we-didn-t-have-genetic-mutations-we-wouldn-t-have-us-you-need/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [The problem is, there are definitely some genuinely lame things on television, and there's more at the bottom of the barrel, because the barrel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/the-problem-is-there-are-definitely-some-genuinely-lame-things-on/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [Organizations that empower folks further down the chain or try to get rid of the big hierarchal chains and allow decision making to happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/organizations-that-empower-folks-further-down-the-chain-or-try-to-get/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [“The birth of the civil rights movement was intimately bound up in the spread of jazz music throughout the United States. It was, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/the-birth-of-the-civil-rights-movement-was-intimately-bound-up-in-the/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [Popular culture, on average, has been growing more cognitively challenging over the past thirty years, not less. Despite everything you hear about declining standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/popular-culture-on-average-has-been-growing-more-cognitively/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [“From am overall eclsyste,s perspective, if you're going to have 10million human beings trying to share an environment with other life-forms, it's much better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/from-am-overall-eclsyste-s-perspective-if-you-re-going-to-have/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [Nothing really says ... interactivity - which was so exciting and captures the real, the Web Zeitgeist of 1995 - than 'Click here for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/nothing-really-says-interactivity-which-was-so-exciting-and-captures/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [“An innovation, or cluster of innovations, in one field ends up triggering changes that seem to belong to a different domain altogether.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/an-innovation-or-cluster-of-innovations-in-one-field-ends-up/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [Every childhood has its talismans, the sacred objects that look innocuous enough to the outside world, but that trigger an onslaught of vivid memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/every-childhood-has-its-talismans-the-sacred-objects-that-look/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [I suspect millions of people from my generation probably have comparable stories to tell: if not of sports simulations then of Dungeons & Dragons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/i-suspect-millions-of-people-from-my-generation-probably-have/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) > [“It is a great testimony to the connectedness of life on earth that the fates of the largest and the tiniest life should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-johnson/it-is-a-great-testimony-to-the-connectedness-of-life-on-earth-that/) [Steven Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) [Explore all 76 Steven Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-johnson/) ## More Good ideas quotes > [The election of Trump threw the chess board up. The pieces are all over the place. That's upsetting to a lot of people, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rubin/the-election-of-trump-threw-the-chess-board-up-the-pieces-are-all/) [Dave Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-rubin/) > [Statistics are like miniskirts: They give you good ideas but hide the important things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ebbe-skovdahl/statistics-are-like-miniskirts-they-give-you-good-ideas-but-hide-the/) [Ebbe Skovdahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ebbe-skovdahl/) > [“I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they’re good talkers, but they don’t have good ideas,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/i-worry-that-there-are-people-who-are-put-in-positions-of-authority/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Good ideas and innovations must be driven into existence by courage and patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyman-rickover/good-ideas-and-innovations-must-be-driven-into-existence-by-courage/) [Hyman Rickover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyman-rickover/) > [Violence is what people do when they run out of good ideas. It's attractive because it's simple, it's direct, it's almost always available as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/violence-is-what-people-do-when-they-run-out-of-good-ideas-it-s/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“I drink beer not to get drunk or because i have stress, i drink beer just because i want to share good ideas with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ntambara-sylvestre-owen-berbason/i-drink-beer-not-to-get-drunk-or-because-i-have-stress-i-drink-beer/) [Ntambara Sylvestre Owen Berbason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ntambara-sylvestre-owen-berbason/) > [“Even though I've never met my dad and don't really want to, I share some of his talents. Along with being the messenger of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-though-i-ve-never-met-my-dad-and-don-t-really-want-to-i-share/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are plenty of good ideas, if only they can be backed with the power of action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/there-are-plenty-of-good-ideas-if-only-they-can-be-backed-with-the/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“Progress is unstoppable. It is a drumbeat to which we must all march. Technology helps and good ideas spread - these are two laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/progress-is-unstoppable-it-is-a-drumbeat-to-which-we-must-all-march/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Government likes committees... a lot. Committees kill all the really good ideas and generally all the really bad ideas. They produce middle-ground mush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/government-likes-committees-a-lot-committees-kill-all-the-really-good/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [“You know, I don't believe that religions are religions. No, I believe they are philosophies with some good ideas and some fuckin' weird ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/you-know-i-don-t-believe-that-religions-are-religions-no-i-believe/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [I was planning on writing a detailed review of several books on web security tonight, but the Obama collapse has superseded my best-laid plans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-foster-johnson/i-was-planning-on-writing-a-detailed-review-of-several-books-on-web/) [Charles Foster Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-foster-johnson/) > [Everything in New Orleans is a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/everything-in-new-orleans-is-a-good-idea/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [I do not have to be high to be great. I do not have to be drunk to have a good idea. I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-do-not-have-to-be-high-to-be-great-i-do-not-have-to-be-drunk-to/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [We believe that almost all really good investment records will involve relatively little diversification. The basic idea that it was hard to find good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-believe-that-almost-all-really-good-investment-records-will/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Browse all 757 Good ideas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-ideas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“…it is the public sector I find more interesting, because governments and other non-market institutions have long suffered from the innovation malaise of top-heavy bureaucracies. Today, these institutions have an opportunity to fundamentally alter the way they cultivate and promote good ideas. 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