--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you have a government that is elected…" description: "\"If you have a government that is elected, they need to do the hard work - because if they don't, they won't be around the next time the ballot box is o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/anonymous-1_ballot_if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected_3023566.jpg" --- # If you have a government that is elected, they need to do… ![“If you have a government that is elected, they need to do the hard work - because if they don't, they won't be around the next time the ballot box is open.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/anonymous-1_ballot_if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected_3023566.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/anonymous-1_ballot_if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected_3023566.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/anonymous-1_ballot_if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected_3023566.jpg) > “If you have a government that is elected, they need to do the hard work - because if they don't, they won't be around the next time the ballot box is open.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Elected governments must act decisively, otherwise they risk losing power at the next election. **In simple terms:** Governments must work hard or lose power. Key Takeaway Act decisively to stay in office. Themes politics accountability power dynamics Mood critical urgent Type political motivational When to use this quote - campaign periods - policy implementation - crisis management - legislative sessions Key Concepts democratic theory public service Questions to Reflect On - What hard work is essential for elected officials? - How can leaders balance immediate needs with future consequences? A Different Perspective Short‑term actions may sacrifice long‑term stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballot/) [Ballots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballots/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Next time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-time/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The ballot box is a most inadequate mechanism of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-ballot-box-is-a-most-inadequate-mechanism-of-change/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [Democracy is more than a ballot box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/democracy-is-more-than-a-ballot-box/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Surely these women won't lose any more of their beauty and charm by putting a ballot in a ballot box once a year than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-schneiderman/surely-these-women-won-t-lose-any-more-of-their-beauty-and-charm-by/) [Rose Schneiderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-schneiderman/) > [But in this country we have one great privilege which they don't have in other countries. When a thing gets to be absolutely unbearable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/but-in-this-country-we-have-one-great-privilege-which-they-don-t-have/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Never forgive at the ballot box!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/never-forgive-at-the-ballot-box/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [The best hope for Australia is the ballot box and good education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-monash/the-best-hope-for-australia-is-the-ballot-box-and-good-education/) [John Monash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-monash/) > [There's a direct relationship between the ballot box and the bread box, and what the union fights for and wins at the bargaining table…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-reuther/there-s-a-direct-relationship-between-the-ballot-box-and-the-bread/) [Walter Reuther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-reuther/) > [Our cause is a common one. It is war between poverty and wealth. ... This moneyed power is fast eating up the substance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-sylvis/our-cause-is-a-common-one-it-is-war-between-poverty-and-wealth-this/) William H. Sylvis > [I really don't sit here and dream what life in the White House will be like. I just can't go beyond the point when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tipper-gore/i-really-don-t-sit-here-and-dream-what-life-in-the-white-house-will/) [Tipper Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tipper-gore/) > [There's people on the left who say, the ballot box is a waste of time. Forget them. 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We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ellis/voters-here-s-the-real-challenge-we-don-t-need-empty-promises-made-by/) [Lee Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ellis/) > [The basic problem is for a congressman or a president to get elected, they need obscene amounts of money. And the only place you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/the-basic-problem-is-for-a-congressman-or-a-president-to-get-elected/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [Democracy is defended in 3 stages. Ballot Box, Jury Box, Cartridge Box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/democracy-is-defended-in-3-stages-ballot-box-jury-box-cartridge-box/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Ballot quotes > [If you don't know, your labor unions and community organizations, there's somebody you can ask to guide you. A lot of people, especially in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolores-huerta/if-you-don-t-know-your-labor-unions-and-community-organizations-there/) [Dolores Huerta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolores-huerta/) > [I think it's best if there's an amendment that goes on the ballot where the people can weigh in. Every time this issue has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-bachmann/i-think-it-s-best-if-there-s-an-amendment-that-goes-on-the-ballot/) [Michele Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-bachmann/) > [What I can accept is losing a fair election at the ballot box - if that is the will of the people. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-crockett/what-i-can-accept-is-losing-a-fair-election-at-the-ballot-box-if-that/) [Jasmine Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-crockett/) > [That's what my Dad always told me, on the ballot, they should always have a third choice, like none of the above, then if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-white/that-s-what-my-dad-always-told-me-on-the-ballot-they-should-always/) [Meg White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-white/) > [People don't wake up to go to vote and then have their ballot not counted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-turner/people-don-t-wake-up-to-go-to-vote-and-then-have-their-ballot-not/) [Nina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-turner/) > [If I put myself on the ballot and even 50 people voted for me, it'd be a travesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/if-i-put-myself-on-the-ballot-and-even-50-people-voted-for-me-it-d-be/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [When and under what conditions is the black man to have a free ballot? When is he in fact to have those full civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-harrison/when-and-under-what-conditions-is-the-black-man-to-have-a-free-ballot/) [Benjamin Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-harrison/) > [Vote counting and ballot collecting does not occur in the light of day. There are too many occasions when observers and opposing parties lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-schaffer/vote-counting-and-ballot-collecting-does-not-occur-in-the-light-of/) [Bob Schaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-schaffer/) > [It's not the hand that signs the laws that holds the destiny of America. It's the hand that casts the ballot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/it-s-not-the-hand-that-signs-the-laws-that-holds-the-destiny-of/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Our cause is a common one. It is war between poverty and wealth. ... This moneyed power is fast eating up the substance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-sylvis/our-cause-is-a-common-one-it-is-war-between-poverty-and-wealth-this/) William H. Sylvis > [I'm not saying anything one way or the other about the two ballot issues. I am not speaking about the particular ballot issues. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-m-not-saying-anything-one-way-or-the-other-about-the-two-ballot/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [“Ballot papers don’t determine who leads; they determine who takes which position. As to whether that person occupying the position will lead or will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/ballot-papers-don-t-determine-who-leads-they-determine-who-takes/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [The right to participate in the choice of representatives for Congress includes, as we have said, the right to cast a ballot and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-f-stone/the-right-to-participate-in-the-choice-of-representatives-for/) [Harlan F. Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-f-stone/) > [There is a subset of Democrats who tend to mis-fill out ballots. The way you mark the ballot is like an S.A.T. - you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/there-is-a-subset-of-democrats-who-tend-to-mis-fill-out-ballots-the/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [If the ballot doesn't work, we'll try something else. But let us try the ballot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/if-the-ballot-doesn-t-work-we-ll-try-something-else-but-let-us-try/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) [Browse all 140 Ballot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballot/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you have a government that is elected, they need to do the hard work - because if they don't, they won't be around the next time the ballot box is open.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected-they-need-to-do-the-hard/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ballot" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected-they-need-to-do-the-hard/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/anonymous-1_ballot_if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected_3023566.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/anonymous-1_ballot_if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected_3023566.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/767/anonymous-1_ballot_if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected_3023566.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you have a government that is elected, they need to do the hard work - because if they don't, they won't…” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you have a government that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected-they-need-to-do-the-hard/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-have-a-government-that-is-elected-they-need-to-do-the-hard/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```