---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many people could not understand that the…"
description: "\"“Many people could not understand that the idea of government is not to provide, the way parents provide for a child.”\" — David Remnick"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/david-remnick-4397_children_many-people-could-not-understand-that-th_3009047.jpg"
---

#  Many people could not understand that the idea of…

![“Many people could not understand that the idea of government is not to provide, the way parents provide for a child.” quote by David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/david-remnick-4397_children_many-people-could-not-understand-that-th_3009047.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/david-remnick-4397_children_many-people-could-not-understand-that-th_3009047.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/david-remnick-4397_children_many-people-could-not-understand-that-th_3009047.jpg)

> ““Many people could not understand that the idea of government is not to provide, the way parents provide for a child.””

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Government's role is to enable, not to supply everything like a parent does for a child.

**In simple terms:** Governments enable, not provide like parents.

Key Takeaway

Focus on empowerment, not dependency.

Themes

government responsibility empowerment

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- policy design
- public services
- community development

Key Concepts

social contract public policy parental metaphor

Questions to Reflect On

- How can governments balance support and autonomy?
- What services truly require direct provision?

A Different Perspective

Assumes all governments can separate provision from care, which may be unrealistic.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Government Provide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-provide-449699/) [Idea Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-government-356562/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents Provide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-provide-762042/) [People Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-understand/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Provide Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/provide-child-432404/)

## Related quotes

> [That has been my outlet and a way to provide for my child - writing songs for myself and for other artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lynn-spears/that-has-been-my-outlet-and-a-way-to-provide-for-my-child-writing/)

[Jamie Lynn Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lynn-spears/)

> [Like many moms in this country, I work to provide my child the best life she can have. It's tough. It's hard to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-duckworth/like-many-moms-in-this-country-i-work-to-provide-my-child-the-best/)

[Tammy Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-duckworth/)

> [Although children are only 24 percent of the population, they're 100 percent of our future and we cannot afford to provide any child with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-markey/although-children-are-only-24-percent-of-the-population-they-re-100/)

[Ed Markey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-markey/)

> [“God is in control of all events and is able to protect and provide for you His child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/god-is-in-control-of-all-events-and-is-able-to-protect-and-provide/)

[Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/)

> [If you serve a child a rotten hamburger in America, federal, state, and local agencies will investigate you, summon you, close you down, whatever.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/if-you-serve-a-child-a-rotten-hamburger-in-america-federal-state-and/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [“Parents that provide a nonviolent, fostering, strong and steady background for their children assist in impede violence and abuse in their households.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/parents-that-provide-a-nonviolent-fostering-strong-and-steady/)

[Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/)

> [“We work with both parents and their children to make lasting progress. Supporting the entire family to succeed is critically important, because when parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-friedman/we-work-with-both-parents-and-their-children-to-make-lasting-progress/)

[Thomas L. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-friedman/)

> [You parents can provide no better gift for your children than an education in the liberal arts. House and home burn down, but an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/you-parents-can-provide-no-better-gift-for-your-children-than-an/)

[Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/)

> [When she became very ill with heart trouble, I saw that it would be impossible for my parents to provide for my studies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-sauckel/when-she-became-very-ill-with-heart-trouble-i-saw-that-it-would-be/)

[Fritz Sauckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-sauckel/)

> [“I don’t know how they do it. I don’t know how anybody does it, waking up every morning and eating and moving from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-don-t-know-how-they-do-it-i-don-t-know-how-anybody-does-it-waking/)

[Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/)

> [While parents should always provide shelter from a storm, they should sometimes allow children to play in the rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/while-parents-should-always-provide-shelter-from-a-storm-they-should/)

[Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/)

> [It is not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make it work -- work with us, not over us;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-is-not-my-intention-to-do-away-with-government-it-is-rather-to/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [“Do not wait for the government to provide solutions to the people when you can be their answer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/do-not-wait-for-the-government-to-provide-solutions-to-the-people/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [I want the government to provide the military so we don't get invaded by somebody and destroyed. I want the government to provide the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/i-want-the-government-to-provide-the-military-so-we-don-t-get-invaded/)

[Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/)

> [Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it's not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make it work -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/now-so-there-will-be-no-misunderstanding-it-s-not-my-intention-to-do/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

## More by David Remnick

> [The internet is very democratizing in some ways, but it also has other effects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/the-internet-is-very-democratizing-in-some-ways-but-it-also-has-other/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [We can hope that the responsibilities and realities will weigh on Donald Trump and he will not be the president we fear, but rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/we-can-hope-that-the-responsibilities-and-realities-will-weigh-on/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [The future is itself a story, and predictions are stories we tell to amaze ourselves, to give hope to the desperate, to jolt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/the-future-is-itself-a-story-and-predictions-are-stories-we-tell-to/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [Russian is such a tough and complex language that I am happy enough to understand everything and read most things pretty well, but, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/russian-is-such-a-tough-and-complex-language-that-i-am-happy-enough/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [You are losing because of Jewish bankers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/you-are-losing-because-of-jewish-bankers/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [“One cannot exclude the possibility of a fascist period in Russia,” Staravoitova said on the radio station Echo of Moscow. “We can see too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/one-cannot-exclude-the-possibility-of-a-fascist-period-in-russia/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [I'm a civilian, a citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-m-a-civilian-a-citizen/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [I'm a journalist - I'm not Robert Caro. I have a day job, and a pretty consuming one - a joyfully consuming one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-m-a-journalist-i-m-not-robert-caro-i-have-a-day-job-and-a-pretty/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [My time as editor has been overlapped by a crisis - a prolonged, labyrinthine, tragic, seemingly non-ending crisis - that involves the prehistory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/my-time-as-editor-has-been-overlapped-by-a-crisis-a-prolonged/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [Democratic institutions, even in the oldest operating democracy in the world, are anything but perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/democratic-institutions-even-in-the-oldest-operating-democracy-in-the/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [Donald Trump seems to think it is within his rights to trample the First Amendment, to disdain the press, to punish protesters or flag-burners,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/donald-trump-seems-to-think-it-is-within-his-rights-to-trample-the/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [I understand the difference between journalism and scholarship that comes 20 years later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-understand-the-difference-between-journalism-and-scholarship-that/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [The Communist Party apparatus was the most gigantic mafia the world has ever known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/the-communist-party-apparatus-was-the-most-gigantic-mafia-the-world/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [The only reason the word "brand" gets a little tiresome is that something that is complex and wonderful and deep begins to sound like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/the-only-reason-the-word-brand-gets-a-little-tiresome-is-that/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

> [I got in journalism for any number of reasons, not least because it's so much fun. Journalism should be in the business of putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/i-got-in-journalism-for-any-number-of-reasons-not-least-because-it-s/)

[David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

[Explore all 111 David Remnick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Many people could not understand that the idea of government is not to provide, the way parents provide for a child.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Remnick"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/many-people-could-not-understand-that-the-idea-of-government-is-not/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/many-people-could-not-understand-that-the-idea-of-government-is-not/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/david-remnick-4397_children_many-people-could-not-understand-that-th_3009047.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/david-remnick-4397_children_many-people-could-not-understand-that-th_3009047.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/david-remnick-4397_children_many-people-could-not-understand-that-th_3009047.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Many people could not understand that the idea of government is not to provide, the way parents provide for…” — David Remnick",
                "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": "David Remnick",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Many people could not understand that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/many-people-could-not-understand-that-the-idea-of-government-is-not/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/many-people-could-not-understand-that-the-idea-of-government-is-not/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
