--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I promised to bring change to Washington…" description: "\"I promised to bring change to Washington. The underlying reason for the economic mess we're in has been building for years. It's a fundamental imbalanc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/barack-obama-17_building_i-promised-to-bring-change-to-washington_888624.jpg" --- # I promised to bring change to Washington. The underlying… ![“I promised to bring change to Washington. The underlying reason for the economic mess we're in has been building for years. It's a fundamental imbalance in which the top 1 percent now gets almost a quarter of all national income. We haven't seen income and wealth this concentrated since the late…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/barack-obama-17_building_i-promised-to-bring-change-to-washington_888624.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/barack-obama-17_building_i-promised-to-bring-change-to-washington_888624.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d89/barack-obama-17_building_i-promised-to-bring-change-to-washington_888624.jpg) > “I promised to bring change to Washington. The underlying reason for the economic mess we're in has been building for years. It's a fundamental imbalance in which the top 1 percent now gets almost a quarter of all national income. We haven't seen income and wealth this concentrated since the late nineteen twenties, and we all know what happened then - the Great Depression. We'll never really get out of the gravitational pull of the Great Recession until we fix this basic problem.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## 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 highlights extreme wealth concentration and its historical parallels, urging systemic reform to prevent economic collapse. **In simple terms:** Wealth is too concentrated; fix it to avoid crisis. Key Takeaway Address inequality now. Themes economics politics inequality history policy Mood concerned urgent Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy reform - public debate - legislative action - grassroots organizing Key Concepts wealth concentration economic cycles political will Questions to Reflect On - How can policy effectively redistribute wealth? - What historical lessons apply today? A Different Perspective Complex political realities can stall reforms despite public support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-washington-299715/) [Economic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic/) [Economic Mess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-mess-1124143/) [Great depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-depression/) [Great recession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-recession/) [Mess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mess/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Recession Fix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recession-fix-1124144/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Wealth Concentrated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth-concentrated-1006289/) ## Related quotes > [These people in the establishment have been telling us they're the ones to fix everything and everything they've tried to fix, they've botched -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/these-people-in-the-establishment-have-been-telling-us-they-re-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > ['Up in the Air' may be a glossy production sprinkled with laughter and sex, but it captures the distinctive topography of our Great Recession…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-rich/up-in-the-air-may-be-a-glossy-production-sprinkled-with-laughter-and/) [Frank Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-rich/) > [ Even though the play \[ The Best Man\] was written a long time ago, the characters seem modern and their struggles to make ends… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hart/even-though-the-play-the-best-man-was-written-a-long-time-ago-the/) [Chris Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hart/) > [In the five years since the end of the Great Recession, the economy has made considerable progress in recovering from the largest and most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/in-the-five-years-since-the-end-of-the-great-recession-the-economy/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-recession-is-when-your-neighbor-loses-his-job-a-depression-is-when/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I'M ASKING YOU TO BELIEVE... not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington... I'm asking you to believe in yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-m-asking-you-to-believe-not-just-in-my-ability-to-bring-about-real-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [You can't change Washington from the inside, you can only change it from the outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-can-t-change-washington-from-the-inside-you-can-only-change-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think the American people can change Washington. But I think that it is not going to change, because somebody from on high directs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-the-american-people-can-change-washington-but-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Politicians - in both political parties - spend too much money. And they forget to focus on what matters most: fixing the economic mess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-wenstrup/politicians-in-both-political-parties-spend-too-much-money-and-they/) [Brad Wenstrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-wenstrup/) > [Britain in the 1970s was undoubtedly an economic mess because of the oil price explosion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/britain-in-the-1970s-was-undoubtedly-an-economic-mess-because-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think the liberals are going to try to blame - and they already are - this entire mess on the right and on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-tantaros/i-think-the-liberals-are-going-to-try-to-blame-and-they-already-are/) [Andrea Tantaros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-tantaros/) > [It is easy to be pessimistic. These are extraordinarily difficult times, and the collective psyche is teetering. But we are closer to righting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zandi/it-is-easy-to-be-pessimistic-these-are-extraordinarily-difficult/) [Mark Zandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zandi/) > [“As the familiar quote usually attributed to Supreme Court justice Louis D. Brandeis goes, “We can have democracy in this country, or we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/as-the-familiar-quote-usually-attributed-to-supreme-court-justice/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [If in a country, most of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of the few, then this country can hardly witness harmony and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wen-jiabao/if-in-a-country-most-of-the-wealth-is-concentrated-in-the-hands-of/) [Wen Jiabao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wen-jiabao/) > [“The bottom line is that wealth can be concentrated somewhere, but that doesn’t also mean that’s where it’s being created. This is just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-bottom-line-is-that-wealth-can-be-concentrated-somewhere-but-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Building quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. 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We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. 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The underlying reason for the economic mess we're in has been building for years. It's a fundamental imbalance in which the top 1 percent now gets almost a quarter of all national income. We haven't seen income and wealth this concentrated since the late nineteen twenties, and we all know what happened then - the Great Depression. 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