The most important lesson in the writing trade is that any manuscript is improved if you cut away the fat.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
Any government will work if authority and responsibility are equal and coordinate. This does not insure “good” government, it simply insures that it will work. But such governments are rare — most people want to run things, but want no part of the blame. This used to be called the “backseat driver” syndrome.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Effective governance requires a balance between authority and responsibility.
In this quote, Robert A. Heinlein emphasizes that for a government or organization to function effectively, there must be a clear balance between the authority given to leaders and the responsibility they hold for their actions. However, he notes that many people desire power without accepting the accountability that comes with it, which leads to ineffective governance often referred to as the 'backseat driver' syndrome.
Themes
GovernmentLeadershipAuthorityResponsibilityAccountability
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about political accountability, this quote could illustrate the importance of equal authority and responsibility.
More from Robert A. Heinlein
All quotes →An armed society is a polite society.
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Democracy is a poor system of government at best; the only thing that can honestly be said in its favor is that it is eight times as good as any other method the human race has ever tried.
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Long human words (the longer the better) were easy, unmistakable, and rarely changed their meanings . . . but short words were slippery, unpredictable, changing their meanings without any pattern.
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Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.
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When a place gets crowded enough to require ID's, social collapse is not far away. It is time to go elsewhere. The best thing about space travel is that it made it possible to go elsewhere.
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