President Obama challenged “anti-government” types Wednesday to visit a nation with a poorly functioning government in order to appreciate how “useful” a well-run administration is to society.

“I always tell people who are anti-government here in the United States, try going to a country where the government doesn’t work. And you’ll see that you actually want a good government,” the president said during a town hall for Mandela Washington Fellowship winners. “It’s a useful thing to have.”