--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Democrats have prevailed because, at…" description: "\"The Democrats have prevailed because, at heart, we have embodied a great idea, which is that an elected government can be the instrument of the common ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_common-purpose_the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at_2704990.jpg" --- # The Democrats have prevailed because, at heart, we have… ![“The Democrats have prevailed because, at heart, we have embodied a great idea, which is that an elected government can be the instrument of the common purpose of a free people; that government can embrace great causes and do great things.” quote by Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_common-purpose_the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at_2704990.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_common-purpose_the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at_2704990.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_common-purpose_the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at_2704990.jpg) > “The Democrats have prevailed because, at heart, we have embodied a great idea, which is that an elected government can be the instrument of the common purpose of a free people; that government can embrace great causes and do great things.” [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democrats succeed by believing government can serve the common good and achieve great deeds. **In simple terms:** Government can be a tool for the common purpose. Key Takeaway Support policies that empower collective action. Themes politics public service common good Mood inspirational cautious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - campaign strategy - legislative advocacy - community organizing Key Concepts Civic engagement policy making Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens ensure government serves all? - What safeguards protect against abuse? A Different Perspective Government can also fail or be misused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Causes Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes-great-2761968/) [Common purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-purpose/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats/) [Democrats Prevailed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats-prevailed-2761966/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-people/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Embrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-embrace-2253606/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Idea Elected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-elected-2761967/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) ## Related quotes > [“Responding to the 'great good' within us causes us to be 'great people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/responding-to-the-great-good-within-us-causes-us-to-be-great-people/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“am learning how love wells up and causes great pain when it has nowhere to go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-marais/am-learning-how-love-wells-up-and-causes-great-pain-when-it-has/) [Bianca Marais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-marais/) > [What we have found is that we were the principal mediators in many cases between the Iraqis and their own security forces and their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster/what-we-have-found-is-that-we-were-the-principal-mediators-in-many/) [H. R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster/) > [What we call little things are merely the causes of great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/what-we-call-little-things-are-merely-the-causes-of-great-things/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [...through schools of the world we shall disseminate a new conception of government - one that will embrace all of the collective activities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-rugg/through-schools-of-the-world-we-shall-disseminate-a-new-conception-of/) [Harold Rugg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-rugg/) > [So, friends, every day do something that won't compute. Love the Lord. Love the world. Work for nothing. Take all that you have and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/so-friends-every-day-do-something-that-won-t-compute-love-the-lord/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [We're up against the conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as president comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to the White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-re-up-against-the-conventional-thinking-that-says-your-ability-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Organisations often appoint leaders for their IQ. Then, years later, sack them for their lack of EQ (Emotional Intelligence). Common Purpose argues that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-middleton/organisations-often-appoint-leaders-for-their-iq-then-years-later/) [Julia Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-middleton/) > [Leader and followers are both following the invisible leader-the common purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-parker-follett/leader-and-followers-are-both-following-the-invisible-leader-the/) [Mary Parker Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-parker-follett/) > [People of different faiths, like yours and mine, sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose, when there are so many differences in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/people-of-different-faiths-like-yours-and-mine-sometimes-wonder-where/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [“With sharing our common purpose we multiply and with keeping to ourselves we divide. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/with-sharing-our-common-purpose-we-multiply-and-with-keeping-to/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [No matter who we are or what we look like or what we may believe, it is both possible and, more importantly, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/no-matter-who-we-are-or-what-we-look-like-or-what-we-may-believe-it/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [To me, just to be surrounded by others, even without a common purpose, is great fulfillment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-mckelvey/to-me-just-to-be-surrounded-by-others-even-without-a-common-purpose/) [Miguel McKelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-mckelvey/) > [It is kind of nice to have a common purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/it-is-kind-of-nice-to-have-a-common-purpose/) [Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/) > [My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-law-montgomery/my-own-definition-of-leadership-is-this-the-capacity-and-the-will-to/) [Bernard Law Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-law-montgomery/) ## More by Daniel Patrick Moynihan > [I have no doubt that there will continue to be bumps, some serious crises indeed in our relationship with China… Neither membership in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/i-have-no-doubt-that-there-will-continue-to-be-bumps-some-serious/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [The US wished things to turn out as they did, and worked to bring this about. The department of state desired that the UN…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-us-wished-things-to-turn-out-as-they-did-and-worked-to-bring-this/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [People who pierce the veil of money rarely return with their faculties altogether intact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/people-who-pierce-the-veil-of-money-rarely-return-with-their/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [We have the right to our own opinions, but not our own facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/we-have-the-right-to-our-own-opinions-but-not-our-own-facts/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [A commonplace of political rhetoric has it that the quality of a civilization may be measured by how it cares for its elderly. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/a-commonplace-of-political-rhetoric-has-it-that-the-quality-of-a/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [It has proved politically wiser to set goals than to start programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/it-has-proved-politically-wiser-to-set-goals-than-to-start-programs/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [It is perhaps common in the world for individuals and nations to suffer for their noble qualities more than for their ignoble ones. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/it-is-perhaps-common-in-the-world-for-individuals-and-nations-to/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [“In the era of security clearances, to be an Irish Catholic became prima facie evidence of loyalty. Harvard men were to be checked; Fordham…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/in-the-era-of-security-clearances-to-be-an-irish-catholic-became/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [What the press never does say is who the leaker is and why he wants the story leaked. Yet, more often than not, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/what-the-press-never-does-say-is-who-the-leaker-is-and-why-he-wants/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [When a person goes to a country and finds their newspapers filled with nothing but good news, he can bet there are good men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/when-a-person-goes-to-a-country-and-finds-their-newspapers-filled/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [To be Irish is to know that in the end the world will break your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/to-be-irish-is-to-know-that-in-the-end-the-world-will-break-your-heart/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [I can live with the robber barons, but how do you live with these pathological radicals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/i-can-live-with-the-robber-barons-but-how-do-you-live-with-these/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [The world's largest debtor is a distinction of sorts, but not the one we like having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-world-s-largest-debtor-is-a-distinction-of-sorts-but-not-the-one/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [The institution of the family is decisive in determining not only if a person has the capacity to love another individual but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-institution-of-the-family-is-decisive-in-determining-not-only-if/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [The liberal left can be as rigid and destructive as any force in American life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-liberal-left-can-be-as-rigid-and-destructive-as-any-force-in/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) [Explore all 79 Daniel Patrick Moynihan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) ## More Common purpose quotes > [My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-law-montgomery/my-own-definition-of-leadership-is-this-the-capacity-and-the-will-to/) [Bernard Law Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-law-montgomery/) > [It is kind of nice to have a common purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/it-is-kind-of-nice-to-have-a-common-purpose/) [Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/) > [To me, just to be surrounded by others, even without a common purpose, is great fulfillment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-mckelvey/to-me-just-to-be-surrounded-by-others-even-without-a-common-purpose/) [Miguel McKelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-mckelvey/) > [No matter who we are or what we look like or what we may believe, it is both possible and, more importantly, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/no-matter-who-we-are-or-what-we-look-like-or-what-we-may-believe-it/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [“With sharing our common purpose we multiply and with keeping to ourselves we divide. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/with-sharing-our-common-purpose-we-multiply-and-with-keeping-to/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [People of different faiths, like yours and mine, sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose, when there are so many differences in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/people-of-different-faiths-like-yours-and-mine-sometimes-wonder-where/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Leader and followers are both following the invisible leader-the common purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-parker-follett/leader-and-followers-are-both-following-the-invisible-leader-the/) [Mary Parker Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-parker-follett/) > [“Organisations often appoint leaders for their IQ. Then, years later, sack them for their lack of EQ (Emotional Intelligence). Common Purpose argues that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-middleton/organisations-often-appoint-leaders-for-their-iq-then-years-later/) [Julia Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-middleton/) > [We're up against the conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as president comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to the White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-re-up-against-the-conventional-thinking-that-says-your-ability-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [My message is more about unity, solving problems and trying to bring the American people together around a notion of common purpose in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delaney/my-message-is-more-about-unity-solving-problems-and-trying-to-bring/) [John Delaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delaney/) > [The prospective colonization of space responds, not to the particular problems of the American nation, or of any other nation, but to those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-j-halle/the-prospective-colonization-of-space-responds-not-to-the-particular/) [Louis J. Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-j-halle/) > [People working together in a strong community with a shared goal and a common purpose can make the impossible possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/people-working-together-in-a-strong-community-with-a-shared-goal-and/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [“We do not take democracy for granted. We feel it grow in our working together—many millions of us working toward a common purpose. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-bulosan/we-do-not-take-democracy-for-granted-we-feel-it-grow-in-our-working/) [Carlos Bulosan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-bulosan/) > [“Tell me now, fairy as you are - can't you give me a charm, or a philter, or something of that sort, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/tell-me-now-fairy-as-you-are-can-t-you-give-me-a-charm-or-a-philter/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“A lot of what we know to be history isn’t…it serves a purpose. Events are exaggerated, heroes fabricated, goals are rewritten to appear more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/a-lot-of-what-we-know-to-be-history-isn-t-it-serves-a-purpose-events/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) [Browse all 87 Common purpose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-purpose/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Democrats have prevailed because, at heart, we have embodied a great idea, which is that an elected government can be the instrument of the common purpose of a free people; that government can embrace great causes and do great things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Patrick Moynihan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at-heart-we-have-embodied-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Common purpose" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at-heart-we-have-embodied-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_common-purpose_the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at_2704990.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_common-purpose_the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at_2704990.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/daniel-patrick-moynihan-8627_common-purpose_the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at_2704990.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Democrats have prevailed because, at heart, we have embodied a great idea, which is that an elected…” — Daniel Patrick Moynihan", "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": "Daniel Patrick Moynihan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Democrats have prevailed because, at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at-heart-we-have-embodied-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/the-democrats-have-prevailed-because-at-heart-we-have-embodied-a/#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 } } ] } ```