--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In America, public opinion is the leader" description: "\"In America, public opinion is the leader\" — Frances Perkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31e/frances-perkins-28753_america_in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader_2604084.jpg" --- # In America, public opinion is the leader ![“In America, public opinion is the leader” quote by Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31e/frances-perkins-28753_america_in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader_2604084.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31e/frances-perkins-28753_america_in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader_2604084.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31e/frances-perkins-28753_america_in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader_2604084.jpg) > “In America, public opinion is the leader” [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public opinion guides national direction, acting as a leading force in policy. **In simple terms:** Public opinion leads the nation. Key Takeaway Engage responsibly in civic discourse. Themes politics media democracy Mood concerned informed Type political educational When to use this quote - elections - policy making - media analysis Key Concepts influence leadership public will Questions to Reflect On - How does public opinion shape legislation? - What responsibilities do citizens have? A Different Perspective Opinion can be misinformed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-public-1970297/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Opinion Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion-leader-1407835/) [Public opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-opinion/) ## Related quotes > [To whatever degree you have as a celebrity or notoriety, there are people who see you as an opinion leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-balfour/to-whatever-degree-you-have-as-a-celebrity-or-notoriety-there-are/) [Eric Balfour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-balfour/) > [From lying about climate change, to undermining programs that make up our social safety net, to opposing laws that reduce gun violence, to fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/from-lying-about-climate-change-to-undermining-programs-that-make-up/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [America's public schools have served their purpose. Free and compulsory education was good for a somewhat unpromising young nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/america-s-public-schools-have-served-their-purpose-free-and/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [“All across America public libraries were, and are, being shut down, while prisons-with libraries-were, and are, being built. This has been a choice the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi-steinberg/all-across-america-public-libraries-were-and-are-being-shut-down/) [Avi Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi-steinberg/) > [Richard John Neuhaus, in his well-known book The Naked Public Square, tells us that in America, the public square has become openly hostile to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/richard-john-neuhaus-in-his-well-known-book-the-naked-public-square/) [Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/) > [I believe in an America ... where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/i-believe-in-an-america-where-no-public-official-either-requests-or/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [The court follows elite opinion, not public opinion. And Democratic leaders in Congress and Republican leaders in Congress follow elite opinion as well. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-court-follows-elite-opinion-not-public-opinion-and-democratic/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [In America there is not one single element of civilization that is not made to depend, in the end, upon public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/in-america-there-is-not-one-single-element-of-civilization-that-is/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The tyranny of public opinion (and what an opinion!) is as fatuous in the small towns of France as it is in the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/the-tyranny-of-public-opinion-and-what-an-opinion-is-as-fatuous-in/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [The possibility of my presidential candidacy emerged spontaneously in public opinion polls. For my part, I noticed people's affection when I was doing work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-bachelet/the-possibility-of-my-presidential-candidacy-emerged-spontaneously-in/) [Michelle Bachelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-bachelet/) > [Politicians, after all, are not over a year behind public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/politicians-after-all-are-not-over-a-year-behind-public-opinion/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Public opinion in the United States has shifted significantly, not just outside but also within the Jewish community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/public-opinion-in-the-united-states-has-shifted-significantly-not/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) > [Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum. (Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/nihil-est-incertius-vulgo-nihil-obscurius-voluntate-hominum-nihil/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [I believe the role that people like myself have played in the transformation of public opinion has been by persistently presenting a different point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-believe-the-role-that-people-like-myself-have-played-in-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [One of his officers, Henry Lee, summed up contemporary public opinion of Washington: First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/one-of-his-officers-henry-lee-summed-up-contemporary-public-opinion/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) ## More by Frances Perkins > [Out of our first century of national life we evolved the ethical principle that it was not right or just that an honest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/out-of-our-first-century-of-national-life-we-evolved-the-ethical/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [Our idea of what constitutes social good has advanced with the procession of the ages, from those desperate times when just to keep body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/our-idea-of-what-constitutes-social-good-has-advanced-with-the/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [To one who believes that really good industrial conditions are the hope for a machine civilization, nothing is more heartening than to watch conference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/to-one-who-believes-that-really-good-industrial-conditions-are-the/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [But with the slow menace of a glacier, depression came on. No one had any measure of its progress; no one had any plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/but-with-the-slow-menace-of-a-glacier-depression-came-on-no-one-had/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [Most of man's problems upon this planet, in the long history of the race, have been met and solved either partially or as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/most-of-man-s-problems-upon-this-planet-in-the-long-history-of-the/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [“There was a stricken conscience of public guilt and we all felt that we had been wrong, that something was wrong with that building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/there-was-a-stricken-conscience-of-public-guilt-and-we-all-felt-that/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [Being a woman has only bothered me in climbing trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/being-a-woman-has-only-bothered-me-in-climbing-trees/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [It's only when we're relaxed that the thing way down deep in all of us - call it the subconscious mind, the spirit, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/it-s-only-when-we-re-relaxed-that-the-thing-way-down-deep-in-all-of/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [The accusation that I am a woman is incontrovertible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/the-accusation-that-i-am-a-woman-is-incontrovertible/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [The quality of his being one with the people, of having no artificial or natural barriers between him and them, made it possible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/the-quality-of-his-being-one-with-the-people-of-having-no-artificial/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [The door might not be opened to a woman again for a long, long time, and I had a kind of duty to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/the-door-might-not-be-opened-to-a-woman-again-for-a-long-long-time/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [You can always get sympathy by using the word small. With little industries you feel as you do about a little puppy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/you-can-always-get-sympathy-by-using-the-word-small-with-little/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [The people are what matter to government, and a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/the-people-are-what-matter-to-government-and-a-government-should-aim/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [I came to Washington to work for God, FDR, and the millions of forgotten, plain common workingmen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/i-came-to-washington-to-work-for-god-fdr-and-the-millions-of/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [“The New Deal began on March 25th, 1911. The day that the Triangle factory burned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/the-new-deal-began-on-march-25th-1911-the-day-that-the-triangle/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) [Explore all 19 Frances Perkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) ## 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": "In America, public opinion is the leader", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frances Perkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31e/frances-perkins-28753_america_in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader_2604084.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31e/frances-perkins-28753_america_in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader_2604084.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31e/frances-perkins-28753_america_in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader_2604084.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In America, public opinion is the leader” — Frances Perkins", "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": "Frances Perkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In America, public opinion is the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/in-america-public-opinion-is-the-leader/#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 } } ] } ```