First in violence, deepest in dirt, lawless, unlovely, ill-smelling, irreverent, new; an overgrown gawk of a - village, the "tough" among cities, a spectacle for the nation.
Lincoln SteffensRead
Whenever anything extraordinary is done in American municipal politics, whether for good or for evil, you can trace it almost invariably to one man. The people do not do it. Neither do the 'gangs,' 'combines,' or political parties.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the impact of individual leadership in American municipal politics, suggesting that significant changes are often driven by a single person rather than collective groups.
Lincoln Steffens highlights the role of individual agency in political actions within American municipalities, asserting that whether these actions are beneficial or detrimental, they can typically be traced back to one influential figure. This perspective calls attention to the power dynamic where the masses and larger political organizations may not be the driving forces for change, but rather certain key individuals who shape outcomes.
Themes
PoliticsLeadershipIndividualChangeInfluence
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about civic responsibility during a political campaign.
More from Lincoln Steffens
All quotes βMost men think graft a sporadic evil, breaking out here and there, with no connection between outbreaks. I shared the same opinion, but very soon I discovered that the graft in the cities always leads to the graft in the State.
Lincoln SteffensRead
Similar quotes
Like the effect of advertising upon the customer, the methods of political propaganda tend to increase the feeling of insignificance of the individual voter.
Erich FrommRead
Lifting the veil of secrecy that shrouds police misconduct allegations would seem like an obvious democratic value. After all, if police work for the people, should they not be answerable to the people, as well? This is a basic tenet of good government.
Maya WileyRead
Abstention means you stayed at home or went to the beach. By casting a blank vote, you're saying that you understand your responsibility, you have a political conscience and you came to vote, but you don't agree with any of the existing parties and this is the only way you have of saying so.
Jose SaramagoRead
We must not let history repeat itself in Iraq. The reality is there is no military solution in Iraq. This is a sectarian war with long standing roots that were flamed when we invaded Iraq in 2003. Any lasting solution must be political and take into account respect for the entire Iraqi population.
Barbara LeeRead
Extensive violations of human rights (torture, forced reduction of living standards for much of the population, police-sponsored death squads, destruction of representative institutions or of independent unions, etc.) are directly correlated with US government support. The linkage is not accidental; rather it is systematic. The reason is obvious enough. Client fascism often improves the business climate for American corporations, quite generally the guiding factor in foreign policy.
Noam ChomskyRead
NATO was constructed on the - with the reason, whether one believes it or not, that it was going to defend Western Europe from Russian assault. Once the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union was beginning to collapse, that reason was gone. So, first question: why does NATO exist?
Noam ChomskyRead