--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first lesson in civics is that…" description: "\"The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.\" — Charles Evans Hughes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/charles-evans-hughes-19073_civics_the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-effic_3033109.jpg" --- # The first lesson in civics is that efficient government… ![“The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.” quote by Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/charles-evans-hughes-19073_civics_the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-effic_3033109.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/charles-evans-hughes-19073_civics_the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-effic_3033109.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/charles-evans-hughes-19073_civics_the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-effic_3033109.jpg) > “The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.” [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good governance starts with responsible behavior at home. **In simple terms:** Effective government begins with personal responsibility. Key Takeaway Cultivate civic duty in daily life. Themes civics government personal responsibility Mood inspirational educational Type political philosophical When to use this quote - family meetings - community volunteering - local elections - home budgeting Key Concepts political theory social contract family dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does household management influence public policy? - What personal habits reflect civic values? A Different Perspective Home habits may not scale to national policy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Begins Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begins-home/) [Civics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civics/) [Civics Efficient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civics-efficient-4963911/) [Efficient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficient/) [Efficient Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficient-government-2029224/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Begins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-begins-1228951/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Lesson Civics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesson-civics-4963912/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [The most dangerous moment for a bad government is when it begins to reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-most-dangerous-moment-for-a-bad-government-is-when-it-begins-to/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [The people want government that works for them at every level. They want good government that begins at their doorstep in the barangay, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-macapagal-arroyo/the-people-want-government-that-works-for-them-at-every-level-they/) [Gloria Macapagal Arroyo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-macapagal-arroyo/) > [The deterioration of a government begins almost always by the decay of its principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-secondat/the-deterioration-of-a-government-begins-almost-always-by-the-decay/) [Charles de Secondat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-secondat/) > [The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-de-montesquieu/the-deterioration-of-every-government-begins-with-the-decay-of-the/) [Baron de Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-de-montesquieu/) > [Morality in government begins with officials using words as honestly as possible to describe the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gergen/morality-in-government-begins-with-officials-using-words-as-honestly/) [David Gergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gergen/) > [Restoring faith in government begins with improving our electoral system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-phillips/restoring-faith-in-government-begins-with-improving-our-electoral/) [Dean Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-phillips/) > [I'm interested in helping people obtain the benefits enjoyed by the First World of efficient government. I want people in sub-Saharan Africa and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-getty/i-m-interested-in-helping-people-obtain-the-benefits-enjoyed-by-the/) [Mark Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-getty/) > [We have a moral duty to have an efficient government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-rauner/we-have-a-moral-duty-to-have-an-efficient-government/) [Bruce Rauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-rauner/) > [Whenever you have efficient government, you have a dictatorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/whenever-you-have-efficient-government-you-have-a-dictatorship/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [Whenever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/whenever-you-have-an-efficient-government-you-have-a-dictatorship/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [Chaos and ineptitude are anti-human; but so too is a superlatively efficient government, equipped with all the products of a highly developed technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/chaos-and-ineptitude-are-anti-human-but-so-too-is-a-superlatively/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [What we can do in Singapore may not be doable elsewhere. Some things you know you need: you want efficient government, you want clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/what-we-can-do-in-singapore-may-not-be-doable-elsewhere-some-things/) [Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/) > [When you have an efficient government, you have a dictatorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/when-you-have-an-efficient-government-you-have-a-dictatorship/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [An efficient government is dangerous in the hands of the wrong man. Sadly, the right sort of man never seems interested in the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/an-efficient-government-is-dangerous-in-the-hands-of-the-wrong-man/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [First love yourselve and then love others or someone, because charity begins at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tirelo-answer-phokane/first-love-yourselve-and-then-love-others-or-someone-because-charity/) [Tirelo Answer Phokane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tirelo-answer-phokane/) ## More by Charles Evans Hughes > [War should be made a crime, and those who instigate it should be punished as criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/war-should-be-made-a-crime-and-those-who-instigate-it-should-be/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [The Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal will take care of themselves. Look after the courts of the poor, who stand most in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-supreme-court-and-the-court-of-appeal-will-take-care-of/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/when-we-lose-the-right-to-be-different-we-lose-the-privilege-to-be/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [The United States is the greatest law factory the world has ever known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-united-states-is-the-greatest-law-factory-the-world-has-ever-known/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [Men do not die from overwork. They die from dissipation and worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/men-do-not-die-from-overwork-they-die-from-dissipation-and-worry/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [Each man begins with his own world to conquer, and his education is the measure of his conquest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/each-man-begins-with-his-own-world-to-conquer-and-his-education-is/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [Our institutions were not devised to bring about uniformity of opinion; if they had we might well abandon hope. It is important to remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/our-institutions-were-not-devised-to-bring-about-uniformity-of/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [I believe in work, hard work, and long hours of work. Men do not breakdown from overwork, but from worry and dissipation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/i-believe-in-work-hard-work-and-long-hours-of-work-men-do-not/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [While democracy must have its organizations and controls, its vital breath is individual liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/while-democracy-must-have-its-organizations-and-controls-its-vital/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [Selfishness and demagoguery take advantage of liberty. The selfish hand constantly seeks to control government, and every increase of governmental power, even to meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/selfishness-and-demagoguery-take-advantage-of-liberty-the-selfish/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [But it is recognized that punishment for the abuse of the liberty accorded to the press is essential to the protection of the public,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/but-it-is-recognized-that-punishment-for-the-abuse-of-the-liberty/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [The Constitution is what the judges say it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-constitution-is-what-the-judges-say-it-is/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [Every young man should aim at independence and should prepare himself for a vocation; above all, he should so manage his life that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/every-young-man-should-aim-at-independence-and-should-prepare-himself/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [I think that it is a fallacy to suppose that helpful cooperation in the future will be assured by the attempted compulsion of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/i-think-that-it-is-a-fallacy-to-suppose-that-helpful-cooperation-in/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) > [The power to wage war is the power to wage war successfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-power-to-wage-war-is-the-power-to-wage-war-successfully/) [Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) [Explore all 33 Charles Evans Hughes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/) ## More Civics quotes > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. 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Americans defined themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kennedy/civics-isn-t-something-where-you-learned-learn-it-for-a-couple-weeks/) [Anthony Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kennedy/) > [Naive optimism and pervasive pessimism are both to be avoided, therefore. It's not an easy balance to maintain, to be asked to work away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/naive-optimism-and-pervasive-pessimism-are-both-to-be-avoided/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [Life in this society being, at best, an utter bore and no aspect of society being at all relevant to women, there remains to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-solanas/life-in-this-society-being-at-best-an-utter-bore-and-no-aspect-of/) [Valerie Solanas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-solanas/) > [What must be addressed in the most immediate sense is the threat that the emerging police state in the United States poses not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/what-must-be-addressed-in-the-most-immediate-sense-is-the-threat-that/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [We hope that more assistance will be available to the nations of the region, to include Egypt, on the three pillars that I discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-hope-that-more-assistance-will-be-available-to-the-nations-of-the/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [I believe that a newspaper is a great civic asset and that ownership is best in the hands of foundations or wealthy families that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/i-believe-that-a-newspaper-is-a-great-civic-asset-and-that-ownership/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [The writer’s job is to write with rigor, with commitment, to defend what they believe with all the talent they have. I think that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/the-writer-s-job-is-to-write-with-rigor-with-commitment-to-defend/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [Greek philosophers considered sport a religious and civic-in a word, moral-undertaking. Sport, they said, is morally serious because mankind's noblest aim is the loving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/greek-philosophers-considered-sport-a-religious-and-civic-in-a-word/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [... in America ... children are instructed in the virtues of the system they live under, as though history had achieved a happy ending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/in-america-children-are-instructed-in-the-virtues-of-the-system-they/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [In her religious role, the Queen is head of the Church of England, but in her civic role she cares for all her subjects,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/in-her-religious-role-the-queen-is-head-of-the-church-of-england-but/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [To Jane Jacob’s three traditional urban values of civic space, human scale and diversity, the current environmental imperative adds two more: conservation and regionalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-calthorpe/to-jane-jacob-s-three-traditional-urban-values-of-civic-space-human/) [Peter Calthorpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-calthorpe/) > [There's a civic nationalism in Britain and dozens of other countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/there-s-a-civic-nationalism-in-britain-and-dozens-of-other-countries/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) [Browse all 271 Civics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Evans Hughes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-efficient-government-begins-at-home/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-efficient-government-begins-at-home/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/charles-evans-hughes-19073_civics_the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-effic_3033109.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/charles-evans-hughes-19073_civics_the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-effic_3033109.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ff/charles-evans-hughes-19073_civics_the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-effic_3033109.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.” — Charles Evans Hughes", "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": "Charles Evans Hughes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The first lesson in civics is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-efficient-government-begins-at-home/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/the-first-lesson-in-civics-is-that-efficient-government-begins-at-home/#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 } } ] } ```