Government Capabilities Quotes

It is vital that people are aware of what the Foreign Office can and can't do.

The government cannot do everything all at once. It can't wave a magic wand and meet everyone's demands simultaneously.

In the U.S., we fundamentally need to do new things, which I think is harder for the government to do. And moreover, it is not something our government actually is inclined to particularly do.

Among practical men the idea prevails that government can do nothing but 'keep the peace”.

Governments can do lots of things, but there are a lot of things they cannot do. A government can provide good housing, but folks can have a house without having a home. We can keep people breathing with good health care, but they still may not really be alive.

I believe that every president wants to give everyone work but they can't; they want everyone to eat but they can't make it happen. The same happens with education. So we have to ask ourselves, "Why can't we do anything?"

It is impossible to manage the health care requirements of tens of millions of American citizens at the federal level. It is impossible to manage all of the permutations of people's economic aspirations and lives through a complex tax code. It is impossible to try to second-guess the market. It is impossible, from a managerial standpoint, for the federal government to do the things it is trying to do today.

I'm surprised people are that hopeful about what government can do, because if you believe in socialism, society can run a pretty decent government, it can provide services, it can regulate the economy effectively.

No government ought to guarantee perfect security because no government can provide it.

I don't want to claim that my government can find solutions to all the problems facing the people.

The government cannot put a chocolate on every one of their pillows and tuck them in at night.