--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've been reading this little book. It's…" description: "\"I've been reading this little book. It's called the Russian constitution. And it says that the only source of power in Russia is the people. So I don't..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/alexei-navalny-12133_authority_i-ve-been-reading-this-little-book-it-s_1848947.png" --- # I've been reading this little book. It's called the… ![“I've been reading this little book. It's called the Russian constitution. And it says that the only source of power in Russia is the people. So I don't want to hear those who say we're appealing to the authorities. Who's the power here?” quote by Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/alexei-navalny-12133_authority_i-ve-been-reading-this-little-book-it-s_1848947.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/alexei-navalny-12133_authority_i-ve-been-reading-this-little-book-it-s_1848947.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/alexei-navalny-12133_authority_i-ve-been-reading-this-little-book-it-s_1848947.png) > “I've been reading this little book. It's called the Russian constitution. And it says that the only source of power in Russia is the people. So I don't want to hear those who say we're appealing to the authorities. Who's the power here?” [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote challenges the claim that authority holds power, asserting that true power resides with the people, and criticizes those who defer to officials **In simple terms:** Power belongs to the people, not just officials Key Takeaway Recognize and assert popular sovereignty Themes politics authority citizenship Mood critical defiant Type political activist When to use this quote - political activism - public discourse - citizen engagement Key Concepts democracy legitimacy social contract Questions to Reflect On - Who truly holds power in your community? - How can citizens effectively claim authority? A Different Perspective Power can be abstract and contested, especially under authoritarian regimes ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authorities Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authorities-power-2411554/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Constitution Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution-says/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-russia-2411553/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Russia People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia-people-557350/) [Russian Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russian-constitution-2411552/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [We've grown accustomed to injustice in Russia. 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The thing everybody thinks of when they think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/artem-lobov/in-russia-the-people-have-been-brought-up-tough-it-used-to-be-the/) [Artem Lobov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/artem-lobov/) > [It's Russia some people would like to get rid of. They are still afraid of our nuclear deterrent. We have our own foreign policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/it-s-russia-some-people-would-like-to-get-rid-of-they-are-still/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Germans, Frenchmen and Englishmen can say of themselves: "I am the state." I cannot say that. In Russia only the people in the Kremlin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-sorokin/germans-frenchmen-and-englishmen-can-say-of-themselves-i-am-the-state/) [Vladimir Sorokin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-sorokin/) > [I love Russia. Some people love Africa, some people love Mexico, some people love purple, the color purple. I love Russia, and I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-seagal/i-love-russia-some-people-love-africa-some-people-love-mexico-some/) [Steven Seagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-seagal/) > [Ukraine had quite serious impact on the many Russians. 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It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-vekselberg/in-russia-or-anywhere-people-don-t-like-rich-people-yeah-ok-i-have/) [Viktor Vekselberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-vekselberg/) > [In Russia, people suffer from the stillness of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatyana-tolstaya/in-russia-people-suffer-from-the-stillness-of-time/) [Tatyana Tolstaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatyana-tolstaya/) > [“And wasn't it this bright boy you selected for beating and tortures after hours? Of course it was. We must all be alike. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/and-wasn-t-it-this-bright-boy-you-selected-for-beating-and-tortures/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [We have laws against torture. The Constitution says nothing whatever about torture. It speaks of punishment; 'cruel and unusual' punishments are forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/we-have-laws-against-torture-the-constitution-says-nothing-whatever/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Chinese citizens have never had the right to really express their opinions; in the constitution it says you can, but in the real world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/chinese-citizens-have-never-had-the-right-to-really-express-their/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) ## More by Alexei Navalny > [When men are arrested without any legal basis and for political reasons, it's merely a routine, everyday occurrence in Russia, and hardly anyone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/when-men-are-arrested-without-any-legal-basis-and-for-political/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [I'm not going to appeal to violence or aggression - of course not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/i-m-not-going-to-appeal-to-violence-or-aggression-of-course-not/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [The questioning is a stupid formality aimed exclusively at preventing us from speaking at the demonstration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/the-questioning-is-a-stupid-formality-aimed-exclusively-at-preventing/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [Everyone says corruption is everywhere, but for me it seems strange to say that and then not try to put the people guilty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/everyone-says-corruption-is-everywhere-but-for-me-it-seems-strange-to/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [After Trump's election victory, I explained why there would be no friendship between Putin and Trump. 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It is absurd that we are intervening on the side of the Shiites in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/russia-should-join-the-international-coalition-against-islamic-state/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [Maybe Putin wanted to fire Medvedev , but how is he supposed to do that after my film?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/maybe-putin-wanted-to-fire-medvedev-but-how-is-he-supposed-to-do-that/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [People aren't really afraid of my views. They are just afraid of the word 'nationalism.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/people-aren-t-really-afraid-of-my-views-they-are-just-afraid-of-the/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [Since Russia has the largest number of illegal immigrants, second only to the US, and immigrants from Central Asia bring in drugs, I'm calling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/since-russia-has-the-largest-number-of-illegal-immigrants-second-only/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [I am different from Putin, that Russia should not isolate itself. Everything that happens in our country is justified through Syria or Ukraine. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/i-am-different-from-putin-that-russia-should-not-isolate-itself/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [We've grown accustomed to injustice in Russia. 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This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. 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