Building Quote by Thomas Sowell
“Virtually everything that the government does costs more than when the same thing is done in private industry - whether it is building housing, running prisons, collecting garbage, or innumerable other things. Why in the world would we imagine that health care would be the exception?”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Economic Policy, 1990
Government services often cost more than private sector equivalents due to bureaucracy, lack of competition, and inefficiencies.
In simple terms: Government is usually more expensive than private.
Expect higher costs from public provision.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- housing projects
- prison management
- waste collection
- healthcare delivery
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Should we privatize all services?
- How can public efficiency be improved?
Private competition can also have high costs and profit motives.