QuoteProject
One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.
Milton Friedman
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

It's important to evaluate the actual outcomes of policies, not just their good intentions.

Milton Friedman's quote emphasizes the necessity of assessing the effectiveness of policies and programs based on the results they yield, rather than merely on the intentions behind them. This perspective urges a more pragmatic approach to evaluation, advocating for accountability and the importance of outcomes in guiding decision-making and policy development.

Themes

PoliciesResultsIntentionEvaluationAccountability

In practice

Example use cases

During a policy debate, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of measuring success through outcomes rather than promises.

More from Milton Friedman

The economic miracle that has been the United States was not produced by socialized enterprises, by government-unon-industry cartels or by centralized economic planning. It was produced by private enterprises in a profit-and-loss system. And losses were at least as important in weeding out failures, as profits in fostering successes. Let government succor failures, and we shall be headed for stagnation and decline.
Milton FriedmanRead
Universities exist to transmit knowledge and understanding of ideas and values to students not to provide entertainment for spectators or employment for athletes.
Milton FriedmanRead
There is no place for government to prohibit consumers from buying products the effect of which will be to harm themselves.
Milton FriedmanRead
There is one and only one social responsibility of business - to use it resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.
Milton FriedmanRead
The great danger to the consumer is the monopoly -whether private or governmental. His most effective protection is free competition at home and free trade throughout the world. The consumer is protected from being exploited by one seller by the existence of another seller from whom he can buy and who is eager to sell to him. Alternative sources of supply protect the consumer far more effectively than all the Ralph Naders of the world.
Milton FriedmanRead
The strongest argument for free enterprise is that it prevents anybody from having too much power. Whether that person is a government official, a trade union official, or a business executive. If forces them to put up or shut up. They either have to deliver the goods, produce something that people are willing to pay for, are willing to buy, or else they have to go into a different business.
Milton FriedmanRead

Similar quotes

He is armed without who is innocent within, be this thy screen, and this thy wall of brass.
HoraceRead
Nothing will stifle your human evolution more than fame and fortune.
Patti SmithRead
Life is too short to be wasted in finding answers. Enjoy the questions.
Paulo CoelhoRead
It is harder to avoid censure than to gain applause.
David HumeRead
Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun.
Christina RossettiRead
Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth.
J. K. RowlingRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.

Quote by Milton Friedman | QuoteProject