--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The point is, is that when you elect a…" description: "\"The point is, is that when you elect a politician, it has nothing to do with their personality. Politicians perform a function, a role in government. A..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/boots-riley-3549_government_the-point-is-is-that-when-you-elect-a-po_560864.jpg" --- # The point is, is that when you elect a politician, it has… ![“The point is, is that when you elect a politician, it has nothing to do with their personality. Politicians perform a function, a role in government. And the role of city government is not one that serves the people, unless the people make them do what the people want.” quote by Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/boots-riley-3549_government_the-point-is-is-that-when-you-elect-a-po_560864.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/boots-riley-3549_government_the-point-is-is-that-when-you-elect-a-po_560864.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/boots-riley-3549_government_the-point-is-is-that-when-you-elect-a-po_560864.jpg) > “The point is, is that when you elect a politician, it has nothing to do with their personality. Politicians perform a function, a role in government. And the role of city government is not one that serves the people, unless the people make them do what the people want.” [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political roles are functional, not personality‑driven; citizens must demand accountability for government to serve them. **In simple terms:** Government serves people only if they enforce it. Key Takeaway Stay engaged and hold officials accountable. Themes politics citizen responsibility government accountability Mood critical motivational Type analysis call to action When to use this quote - Voting - community organizing - public forums - advocacy Key Concepts Civic engagement public policy social contract Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you take to ensure government responsiveness? - How do you differentiate role from personality in leaders? A Different Perspective Power structures can resist citizen demands. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politicians/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [Year after year in Washington, budget debates seem to come down to an old, tired argument: on one side, those who want more government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/year-after-year-in-washington-budget-debates-seem-to-come-down-to-an/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Government can't do everything, but there is a role for government and smart policy, especially in equalizing opportunities for folks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tubbs/government-can-t-do-everything-but-there-is-a-role-for-government-and/) [Michael Tubbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tubbs/) > [I happen to agree with many of the liberal emphasis on compassion, justice and equality. I just disagree that it's the government's role to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/i-happen-to-agree-with-many-of-the-liberal-emphasis-on-compassion/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [And I don't think that government has a role in telling people how to live their lives. Maybe a minister does, maybe your belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/and-i-don-t-think-that-government-has-a-role-in-telling-people-how-to/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [Government has a role as well in what is referred to as redistributive justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/government-has-a-role-as-well-in-what-is-referred-to-as/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [Every level of government has a role to play in combating the rise of MS-13 and other gangs, and we must crack down on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-zeldin/every-level-of-government-has-a-role-to-play-in-combating-the-rise-of/) [Lee Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-zeldin/) > [Government has the role of suiting people for freedom. People aren't made for freedom spontaneously. There's sort of a 19-year race between when people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/government-has-the-role-of-suiting-people-for-freedom-people-aren-t/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [You have to have an idea of what you need to do, what needs to be fixed, what can be improved, what we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/you-have-to-have-an-idea-of-what-you-need-to-do-what-needs-to-be/) [Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/) > [I think the government has a role in protecting the fundamental rights of its citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-think-the-government-has-a-role-in-protecting-the-fundamental/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I have nothing against wealth; I believe that government has a role to play in creating it by supporting pro-growth policies. However, success comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/i-have-nothing-against-wealth-i-believe-that-government-has-a-role-to/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [Government's role should be only to keep the playing field level, and to work hand in hand with business on issues such as employment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/government-s-role-should-be-only-to-keep-the-playing-field-level-and/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [Do we believe that the goal of government is to promote equal opportunity for all Americans to make the most of their lives? Or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/do-we-believe-that-the-goal-of-government-is-to-promote-equal/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [“It may be bad for you, but government has no role in dictating our lives. People should be free to imprison themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/it-may-be-bad-for-you-but-government-has-no-role-in-dictating-our/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [And government's only role is to secure our rights for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-moore/and-government-s-only-role-is-to-secure-our-rights-for-us/) [Roy Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-moore/) > [It's always been government's role to protect the security of the nation. And cyber-attacks is a security issue, from our perspective. And it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-napolitano/it-s-always-been-government-s-role-to-protect-the-security-of-the/) [Janet Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-napolitano/) ## More by Boots Riley > [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I think it's important for us not just to edit the culture that capitalism creates but to create the material basis for a culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/i-think-it-s-important-for-us-not-just-to-edit-the-culture-that/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [The tech world is not a new phenomenon; it's a new era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/the-tech-world-is-not-a-new-phenomenon-it-s-a-new-era/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [What I'm trying to do is make music that people relate to, that talks about ideas that are personal but also make that connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-make-music-that-people-relate-to-that-talks/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I thought my parents were always having card parties - and they were - but they were actually also having meetings to organize people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/i-thought-my-parents-were-always-having-card-parties-and-they-were/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [Going to school in San Francisco, you're not going to meet as many people that are making films as you would if you went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/going-to-school-in-san-francisco-you-re-not-going-to-meet-as-many/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [What I like about music is that you make a song, you've got your ideas in it, and people make that song part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/what-i-like-about-music-is-that-you-make-a-song-you-ve-got-your-ideas/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [What first got me involved in politics was being 14, and a youth organizer comes to my house with a van full of 14…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/what-first-got-me-involved-in-politics-was-being-14-and-a-youth/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I think most people would love for us to be a socialist society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/i-think-most-people-would-love-for-us-to-be-a-socialist-society/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [A lot of organizers tell me that while they are making signs or doing whatever they do, they are listening to the Coup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/a-lot-of-organizers-tell-me-that-while-they-are-making-signs-or-doing/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [When we were doing shows in the mid-'90s, the audiences were 95% black. 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