--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are a great nation because we are a…" description: "\"We are a great nation because we are a good people.\" — Elizabeth Dole" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/elizabeth-dole-23351_america_we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-g_2132786.png" --- # We are a great nation because we are a good people. ![“We are a great nation because we are a good people.” quote by Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/elizabeth-dole-23351_america_we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-g_2132786.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/elizabeth-dole-23351_america_we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-g_2132786.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/elizabeth-dole-23351_america_we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-g_2132786.png) > “We are a great nation because we are a good people.” [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A nation thrives when its citizens act with integrity and kindness. **In simple terms:** Good people make a great nation. Key Takeaway Cultivate personal virtue. Themes civic pride morality national identity Mood proud optimistic Type political inspirational When to use this quote - community service - public policy - education reform - leadership development Key Concepts Ethics collective responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals influence national character? - What policies reinforce good citizenship? A Different Perspective Greatness also depends on institutions and resources, not just individual behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [Great nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-nation/) [Great nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-nations/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation/) [Nation Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-good-636623/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us-a-great-nation-it-is-the-way/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [It is fitting for a great nation to yield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/it-is-fitting-for-a-great-nation-to-yield/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [The Founding Fathers believed that faith in God was the key to our being a good people and America's becoming a great nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-founding-fathers-believed-that-faith-in-god-was-the-key-to-our/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [We are a great nation, which has lot to offer to the world, but to offer something to the world France has to remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/we-are-a-great-nation-which-has-lot-to-offer-to-the-world-but-to/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [Entrepreneurship is the very back bone of our country and what makes us great - we are a nation of founders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/entrepreneurship-is-the-very-back-bone-of-our-country-and-what-makes/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) > [Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/ultimately-a-great-nation-is-a-compassionate-nation/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [A great nation cannot abandon its responsibilities. Responsibilities abandoned today return as more acute crises tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/a-great-nation-cannot-abandon-its-responsibilities-responsibilities/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [I have a dream... I have a dream today... And if America is to be a great nation this must become true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream-i-have-a-dream-today-and-if-america-is-to-be-a-great/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full-bloom from my brow - they came from the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-wasn-t-a-great-communicator-but-i-communicated-great-things-and/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Great Power, capable of everything and only temporarily handicapped by economic difficulties. We are not a great power and never will be again. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-tizard/great-power-capable-of-everything-and-only-temporarily-handicapped-by/) [Henry Tizard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-tizard/) > [A great nation like the United States has many and varied interests, and we need both to do business with tyrants and to engage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/a-great-nation-like-the-united-states-has-many-and-varied-interests/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [A man must first care for his own household before he can be of use to the state. But no matter how well he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/a-man-must-first-care-for-his-own-household-before-he-can-be-of-use/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [A great Nation should have a fixed Government, so that the death of one man should not overturn it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/a-great-nation-should-have-a-fixed-government-so-that-the-death-of/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Lincoln is me. He is America. He is what makes us a great nation and a dangerous nation, all wrapped up in one man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-oberst-jr/lincoln-is-me-he-is-america-he-is-what-makes-us-a-great-nation-and-a/) [Bill Oberst Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-oberst-jr/) > [A great nation is like a great man:When he makes a mistake, he realizes it.Having realized it, he admits it.Having admitted it, he corrects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/a-great-nation-is-like-a-great-man-when-he-makes-a-mistake-he/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) ## More by Elizabeth Dole > [ What empowerment is all about \[is\] finding something which infuses you with a sense of mission, with a passion for your life's work. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/what-empowerment-is-all-about-is-finding-something-which-infuses-you/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [When you're in your nineties and looking back, it's not going to be how much money you made or how many awards you've won.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/when-you-re-in-your-nineties-and-looking-back-it-s-not-going-to-be/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [We believe in the dignity of every life, the possibility of every mind, the divinity of every soul. This is our true North.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/we-believe-in-the-dignity-of-every-life-the-possibility-of-every-mind/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [There is no doubt that now, more than ever, we must work to end our dependence on foreign oil sources. But we cannot do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/there-is-no-doubt-that-now-more-than-ever-we-must-work-to-end-our/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [ \[On power:\] Some people really have almost a disdain for that word. They feel it is alien to conscience. Power for power's sake, no.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/on-power-some-people-really-have-almost-a-disdain-for-that-word-they/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [I am a firm believer in free but fair trade. However the United States should not be on the losing end of trade agreements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/i-am-a-firm-believer-in-free-but-fair-trade-however-the-united-states/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [It is not what I do that matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through me. God does not want worldly successes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/it-is-not-what-i-do-that-matters-but-what-a-sovereign-god-chooses-to/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [In liberating Iraq, we have rid the nation and the rest of the world from the danger of Saddam Hussein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/in-liberating-iraq-we-have-rid-the-nation-and-the-rest-of-the-world/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [Whether on the floor of Congress or in the boardrooms of corporate America or in the corridors of a big city hospital, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/whether-on-the-floor-of-congress-or-in-the-boardrooms-of-corporate/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [ \[On Ronald Reagan:\] The President doesn't want yes-men around. When he says no, we all say no. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/on-ronald-reagan-the-president-doesn-t-want-yes-men-around-when-he/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [My commitment is to strive to lean on the Lord with my whole heart, reading His word daily and earnestly seeking His will in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/my-commitment-is-to-strive-to-lean-on-the-lord-with-my-whole-heart/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [It's absolutely the wrong signal, I think, to those who have entered this country legally or those who may be considering illegal immigration for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/it-s-absolutely-the-wrong-signal-i-think-to-those-who-have-entered/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [To be impacted. Then, once a policy is determined, you call on them to help...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/to-be-impacted-then-once-a-policy-is-determined-you-call-on-them-to/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [Iraq is the central battleground in the war on terror. The terrorists certainly know what is at stake, which is why they are pulling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/iraq-is-the-central-battleground-in-the-war-on-terror-the-terrorists/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) > [Let me be clear, Mr. President, mistakes have been made in Iraq. And this operation has been far from perfect as evidenced by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/let-me-be-clear-mr-president-mistakes-have-been-made-in-iraq-and-this/) [Elizabeth Dole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) [Explore all 26 Elizabeth Dole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are a great nation because we are a good people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth Dole" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-good-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-good-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/elizabeth-dole-23351_america_we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-g_2132786.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/elizabeth-dole-23351_america_we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-g_2132786.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da7/elizabeth-dole-23351_america_we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-g_2132786.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are a great nation because we are a good people.” — Elizabeth Dole", "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": "Elizabeth Dole", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-dole/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are a great nation because...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-good-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-dole/we-are-a-great-nation-because-we-are-a-good-people/#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 } } ] } ```