--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Political institutions, no matter how…" description: "\"Political institutions, no matter how well or badly designed, depend for continued existence upon acting men; their conservation is achieved by the sam..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/hannah-arendt-610_acting_political-institutions-no-matter-how-wel_2173517.jpg" --- # Political institutions, no matter how well or badly… ![“Political institutions, no matter how well or badly designed, depend for continued existence upon acting men; their conservation is achieved by the same means that brought them into being. Independent existence marks the work of art as a product of making; utter dependence upon further acts to…” quote by Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/hannah-arendt-610_acting_political-institutions-no-matter-how-wel_2173517.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/hannah-arendt-610_acting_political-institutions-no-matter-how-wel_2173517.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/820/hannah-arendt-610_acting_political-institutions-no-matter-how-wel_2173517.jpg) > “Political institutions, no matter how well or badly designed, depend for continued existence upon acting men; their conservation is achieved by the same means that brought them into being. Independent existence marks the work of art as a product of making; utter dependence upon further acts to keep it in existence marks the state as a product of action.” [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Institutions survive only through the actions of people; they are created by action and sustained by continual effort. **In simple terms:** Institutions need people to act to exist. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of active participation. Themes politics institution action dependence Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - government - nonprofit - community organizations - civil society Key Concepts social contract agency maintenance Questions to Reflect On - How do you contribute to sustaining institutions? - What actions keep institutions alive? A Different Perspective Institutions can become rigid and resist necessary change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Conservation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservation/) [Dependence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dependence/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-institutions/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Works of art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works-of-art/) ## Related quotes > [“We were brought up to be very independent. 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