Barack Obama Quotes

I wanted to work on policy because I think it really makes a difference.

I prefer to work at the policy level, on trying to fix flawed government policies.

Policy is driven by more than politics, however. It is equally driven by ideas.

I don't think in national categories. For me it [policy] is about concepts and substance.

We are specialists who have something special to say. We have had no problem with working in any state interested in evaluating their policies.

My mantra about everything that has to do with public policy is: identify and reject the false choice.

I see myself as more of a policy maker than a political leader.

All policy is targeted in one way or another.

It's really important that policy be properly designed. It's not enough just to.. .get angry over a subject.

You have to have a sense of what it looks like, not from the point of view of the policymaker but from the point of view of those who are at the receiving end of your policies.

I'm an implementer of policy, not a maker of policy.

I think that policy matters. I'm a policy guy.

There is an old maxim which states that good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from poor judgment. I think something similar can be said of government policy, to wit: Good policy comes from experience, and experience comes from poor policy.

In a mature democracy any proposed policy should be subjected to a close analysis of its likely benefits and costs.

I think the policies, for the most part, that [Hillary Clinton] will put in place are not going to make positive changes. There'll be more status quo. She'll certainly be good for some groups of people. Whatever.

Every plausible policy must be followed by the question 'And then what?'

One has to always ask the question: Where can one be most effective in helping shape policies? It is always difficult when you're inside because you're very constrained.

Social science has been established not to set policy but to measure its results.

You can’t start a conversation about public policy by saying it is complex.

Mayors make tough decisions; Senators make tough speeches.

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

The question of our time is rapidly becoming can government get things done?

I don’t know anyone in government who would read the academic journals that policy school professors get rewarded for publishing in.

When you become president, they don't give you a magic wand that you wave. You have to get legislation passed. You have to get agencies to run programs.

With the policymaking process, you have an idea, and you try to sell other stakeholders on the idea. That's not much different than in business, where you're trying to find capital to make your idea a reality.