John Bracken Quotes

What we have achieved is a good example of how the right policies deliver.

I'm convinced the question of development is mainly an issue of governance and leadership.

I want to spend 100 percent of my time focused on what I think I can make the biggest difference on as the governor of California.

Legislation is a matter of more or less intelligent improvisation aiming at palliating conditions by means of patchwork policies.

The problem is that once we focus on economic policy, much that is not science comes into play. Politics becomes involved, and political posturing is amply rewarded by public attention.

Government is about priorities.

Politics is involved when you don't tackle inefficiency and burden people with higher tariffs.

I'll go to my grave saying a gimmick is not good public policy.

We will work on inclusive governance for inclusive growth

Policy making is not as easy as slurping down cabbage soup.

Almost one-fourth of our children are living in poverty. No other western industrialized nation has anything close to that figure. This is not an act of God. There is no divine intervention that says children in America have to live in poverty more than children in Italy, or Denmark, or Great Britain, or Canada, or other western industrialized nations. It a result of flawed policy. It is a result of policy that panders to those who make campaign contributions rather than to needs

Good governance is an important precondition for success of government but it is not sufficient. Economic growth is necessary.

I do not find a model in the world, that time, place, and some singular emergences have not necessarily altered; nor is it easy to frame a civil government, that shall serve all places alike.

The division of responsibility between economics and politics is indeed one of the most difficult dilemmas with which we are confronted. "Give me a sound economic position, and I will pursue a sound policy", says the Statesman. "How can I pursue a sound policy", says the Economist, "if you do not give me a sound political position?”

Economic development must ... not be left to the sole judgment of a few men or groups, possessing excessive economic power, or of the political community alone, or of certain powerful nations

We can have more democracy and openness and still be efficient.

Successful and unsuccessful political policies have one commonalty. The people who created the policies thought they would be successful.

When a government faces an evil that might be avoided, the usual pattern is to first debate whether or not the evil is real or imagined; then determine how evil it really is; then is it an appropriate function of government to avoid it? Then what are the alternative ways to avoid it? Then what are the costs to avoid it? And finally, is the benefit of avoiding the evil worth the cost? In those cases where it is, it is by this time too late to avoid the evil and discussions shift to ameliorating the evil.

A surprising number of government committees will make important decisions on fundamental matters with less attention than each individual would give to buying a suit.

If we cannot keep secrets, it is impossible for our leaders to have the adequate information on which to base their policies.

How do we build an intelligent plan for growth over decades while responding to citizen’s immediate demands for less inequality and more opportunity. We must do both.

The benefits of globalization do not trickle down automatically. It takes politics to make sure that there is a benefit.

I have nothing against wealth; I believe that government has a role to play in creating it by supporting pro-growth policies. However, success comes with responsibility.

I will never apologize for changing the approach or strategy when the facts change.

You have to understand the way the liberal looks at something working. Their purpose here is not to provide you health care cheaply, affordably and plentifully. That's not what this is about to them.