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About this quote

What does it mean?
State organizations often perform poorly regardless of the size of the task.
In plain terms
Government bodies tend to do everything poorly.
What can you take from it?
Expect inefficiency from large state organizations.

Where it applies

  • public policy
  • bureaucracy
  • state management

Putting it to work

  • expect bureaucratic delays
  • demand accountability

Questions to consider

  • Why do big things do small things badly?
  • Can government ever be efficient?

Another view

Some state functions work well despite general inefficiencies.

More from John Kenneth Galbraith

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  2. The truth is not the average of right and wrong.

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  3. We all agree that pessimism is a mark of superior intellect.

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