--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Over the course of time many Americans…" description: "\"“Over the course of time many Americans have forgotten that “we the people” are actually at the top of the food chain as far as authority is concerned ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/ben-carson-3320_food-chain_over-the-course-of-time-many-americans-h_2562033.jpg" --- # Over the course of time many Americans have forgotten that… ![“Over the course of time many Americans have forgotten that “we the people” are actually at the top of the food chain as far as authority is concerned in this nation. The Republicans don’t run our nation. The Democrats don’t run our nation. We do. However, by dividing and engaging in political…” quote by Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/ben-carson-3320_food-chain_over-the-course-of-time-many-americans-h_2562033.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/ben-carson-3320_food-chain_over-the-course-of-time-many-americans-h_2562033.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb8/ben-carson-3320_food-chain_over-the-course-of-time-many-americans-h_2562033.jpg) > ““Over the course of time many Americans have forgotten that “we the people” are actually at the top of the food chain as far as authority is concerned in this nation. The Republicans don’t run our nation. The Democrats don’t run our nation. We do. However, by dividing and engaging in political squabbles, we have allowed the government to grow so large and powerful that it has now become the boss, progressively taking charge of all of our lives.”” [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Citizens have ceded authority to government by internal divisions, letting it dominate daily life. **In simple terms:** People lost power to government due to political fights. Key Takeaway Reclaim civic unity and limit government overreach. Themes citizenship government political division power authority Mood concerned reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - elections - community organizing - policy advocacy - grassroots activism Key Concepts democracy social contract political theory Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens unite beyond party lines? - What checks can prevent government overreach? A Different Perspective Ignoring civic responsibility can lead to authoritarian drift. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Food chain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food-chain/) [Government Grow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-grow-1614852/) [Nation Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-democrats-1614854/) [Nation Dividing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-dividing-1614853/) [Nation Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-republicans-1614851/) [Republicans Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans-don-507650/) [Taking charge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-charge/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The Democrats had long labeled the impeachment debate a distraction from the urgent business of a great nation. But the Republicans argued that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/the-democrats-had-long-labeled-the-impeachment-debate-a-distraction/) [Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/) > [It is the tendency of Government to grow, for practices and programs to become the nearest thing to eternal life we'll see on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-is-the-tendency-of-government-to-grow-for-practices-and-programs/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The natural tendency of every government is to grow steadily worse-that is, to grow more satisfactory to those who constitute it and less satisfactory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-natural-tendency-of-every-government-is-to-grow-steadily-worse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I continue to vote against such spending increases, but sometimes I think some of my Republican colleagues forgot that we were sent here to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-miller/i-continue-to-vote-against-such-spending-increases-but-sometimes-i/) [Jeff Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-miller/) > [ It looks like they \[the Republicans\] don't want to win if it means winning with \[Donald\] Trump. They must really hate Trump out there. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-looks-like-they-the-republicans-don-t-want-to-win-if-it-means/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Republicans don't like people to talk about depressions. You can hardly blame them for that. You remember the old saying: Don't talk about rope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/republicans-don-t-like-people-to-talk-about-depressions-you-can/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [“Republicans don't want to 'save the world'; they want to save the country from those who would 'save the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-d-kahlenberg/republicans-don-t-want-to-save-the-world-they-want-to-save-the/) [Richard D. Kahlenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-d-kahlenberg/) > [What's going to happen, really on one issue specifically, to their health care, among some other things. And right now, Republicans don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/what-s-going-to-happen-really-on-one-issue-specifically-to-their/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [The Republicans don't need black folks to vote Republican, they just need them to not vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-harris-perry/the-republicans-don-t-need-black-folks-to-vote-republican-they-just/) [Melissa Harris-Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-harris-perry/) > [Democrats cluster in cities, and Republicans don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/democrats-cluster-in-cities-and-republicans-don-t/) [James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/) > [Republicans don't vote Republican because of Nancy Pelosi. They vote Republican because they are Republicans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/republicans-don-t-vote-republican-because-of-nancy-pelosi-they-vote/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) > [It's been the same story ever since I can remember, ever since Wilson - the Republicans don't do a thing for the little man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/it-s-been-the-same-story-ever-since-i-can-remember-ever-since-wilson/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [We don't know each other. Democrats don't know Republicans, Republicans don't know Democrats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/we-don-t-know-each-other-democrats-don-t-know-republicans-republicans/) [James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/) > [Republicans don't want to shrink government. They want more and more military, more and more surveillance. They'd like to have the government banning gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zerzan/republicans-don-t-want-to-shrink-government-they-want-more-and-more/) [John Zerzan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zerzan/) > [... if the Republicans don't bring prosperity, who on earth is going to?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-burgoyne-corbett/if-the-republicans-don-t-bring-prosperity-who-on-earth-is-going-to/) [Elizabeth Burgoyne Corbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-burgoyne-corbett/) ## More by Ben Carson > [“We all have choices in the way we react to the words we hear. Our lives and the lives of all those around us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/we-all-have-choices-in-the-way-we-react-to-the-words-we-hear-our/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“to do only if you don’t have a good argument. This is also a good way to keep people at one another’s throats constantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/to-do-only-if-you-don-t-have-a-good-argument-this-is-also-a-good-way/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Our founding fathers placed so much emphasis on nurturing a well-educated populace because they knew that our system of democracy could not long survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/our-founding-fathers-placed-so-much-emphasis-on-nurturing-a-well/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“If mediocrity becomes the norm, the quantity of outstanding producers will decline, as will general prosperity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/if-mediocrity-becomes-the-norm-the-quantity-of-outstanding-producers/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“If we are ever going to have adequate funding for health care and other major line items in our budget, however, we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/if-we-are-ever-going-to-have-adequate-funding-for-health-care-and/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“capitalism is an economic system in which individuals or corporate groups have the right to make private decisions and to acquire private property and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/capitalism-is-an-economic-system-in-which-individuals-or-corporate/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“A gigantic, bloated government has to keep itself busy in order to justify its existence; hence, you have more regulations and meddling in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/a-gigantic-bloated-government-has-to-keep-itself-busy-in-order-to/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Everyone should realize that today the average person lives to be about eighty years of age, the first twenty to twenty-five of which are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/everyone-should-realize-that-today-the-average-person-lives-to-be/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“One of America’s most respected legacies is indeed that of rebelling for change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/one-of-america-s-most-respected-legacies-is-indeed-that-of-rebelling/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“The real question is, will we as Americans, accustomed to freedom, continue to sheepishly submit to the purveyors of political correctness without recognizing its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/the-real-question-is-will-we-as-americans-accustomed-to-freedom/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Many well-meaning Americans have bought into the PC speech code, thinking that by being extra careful not to offend anyone we will achieve unity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/many-well-meaning-americans-have-bought-into-the-pc-speech-code/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Many in Europe saw an opportunity to escape the oppressive and overbearing governmental systems under which they languished, and these people emigrated in droves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/many-in-europe-saw-an-opportunity-to-escape-the-oppressive-and/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“As long as you have broad representation from many parts of society, representative government works extremely well. And it works even better when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/as-long-as-you-have-broad-representation-from-many-parts-of-society/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“The Constitution is quite clear that the government has the right to tax in order to support its programs, but there is nothing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/the-constitution-is-quite-clear-that-the-government-has-the-right-to/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [“Proverbs 11:9: Evil words destroy one’s friends; wise discernment rescues the godly. Proverbs 11:12: It is foolish to belittle a neighbor; a person with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/proverbs-11-9-evil-words-destroy-one-s-friends-wise-discernment/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) [Explore all 131 Ben Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) ## More Food chain quotes > [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [We don't have a farm-to-table food safety system. I keep saying this. It came as a big surprise to the FDA that tomatoes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-nestle/we-don-t-have-a-farm-to-table-food-safety-system-i-keep-saying-this/) [Marion Nestle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-nestle/) > [I'm bigger than you! I'm higher on the food chain - get in my belly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/i-m-bigger-than-you-i-m-higher-on-the-food-chain-get-in-my-belly/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [I'm the top of the food chain and well...you're the food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-m-the-top-of-the-food-chain-and-well-you-re-the-food/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [What I've been developing is a vegan fast food chain and vegan food markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mills/what-i-ve-been-developing-is-a-vegan-fast-food-chain-and-vegan-food/) [Heather Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mills/) > [Without sharks, you take away the apex predator of the ocean, and you destroy the entire food chain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/without-sharks-you-take-away-the-apex-predator-of-the-ocean-and-you/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [In some suburban schools, the curriculum is chock-full of rigorous A.P. courses and the parking lot glitters with pricey SUVs, but one doesn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/in-some-suburban-schools-the-curriculum-is-chock-full-of-rigorous-a-p/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [“No, the algae were making something that killed the corals via their own microbes. That something turned out to be dissolved organic carbon (DOC);…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-yong/no-the-algae-were-making-something-that-killed-the-corals-via-their/) [Ed Yong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-yong/) > [Australia is the only island continent on the planet, which means that changes caused by planet-warming pollution - warmer seas, which can drive stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/australia-is-the-only-island-continent-on-the-planet-which-means-that/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [War will exist as long as there's a food chain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/war-will-exist-as-long-as-there-s-a-food-chain/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [“my ancestors didn't fight there way to the top of the food chain to look down and see me eating leaves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-connor/my-ancestors-didn-t-fight-there-way-to-the-top-of-the-food-chain-to/) [Leslie Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-connor/) > [“Boy, there are people who conquered half the world, slaughtered whole populations, wiped cultures off the face of the planet, and you know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-maberry/boy-there-are-people-who-conquered-half-the-world-slaughtered-whole/) [Jonathan Maberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-maberry/) > [As soon as you step into the water, you are part of the food chain; you're part of the wilderness. That's why I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-ray/as-soon-as-you-step-into-the-water-you-are-part-of-the-food-chain-you/) [Charles Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-ray/) > [“For those who are proud to be human beings, leave it to the mosquitoes to remind us that we are not as high up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-those-who-are-proud-to-be-human-beings-leave-it-to-the-mosquitoes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [With so much evidence of depleting natural resources, toxic waste, climate change, irreparable harm to our food chain and rapidly increasing instances of natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehuda-berg/with-so-much-evidence-of-depleting-natural-resources-toxic-waste/) [Yehuda Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehuda-berg/) [Browse all 209 Food chain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food-chain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Over the course of time many Americans have forgotten that “we the people” are actually at the top of the food chain as far as authority is concerned in this nation. 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