Desire Quote by Daniel Patrick Moynihan
“Citizen participation is a device whereby public officials induce nonpublic individuals to act in a way the officials desire.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Politics of Public Policy, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, 1970
Citizen participation can be manipulated by officials to steer public behavior toward official goals.
In simple terms: Officials may use public involvement to achieve their own agendas.
Key Takeaway
Beware of hidden motives in civic engagement.
Themes
politics
citizen engagement
power dynamics
Mood
cautious
critical
analytical
Type
political
skeptical
educational
When to use this quote
- public hearings
- community projects
- voting
- consultations
Key Concepts
manipulation
public policy
agency
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards ensure authentic citizen input?
- How can citizens detect manipulation?
A Different Perspective
Not all participation is genuine; some may be tokenistic.
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
