--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's important to realize that whenever…" description: "\"It's important to realize that whenever you give power to politicians or bureaucrats, it will be used for what they want, not for what you want.\" — Har..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70e/harry-browne-3285_bureaucrats_it-s-important-to-realize-that-whenever_2872044.jpg" --- # It's important to realize that whenever you give power to… ![“It's important to realize that whenever you give power to politicians or bureaucrats, it will be used for what they want, not for what you want.” quote by Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70e/harry-browne-3285_bureaucrats_it-s-important-to-realize-that-whenever_2872044.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70e/harry-browne-3285_bureaucrats_it-s-important-to-realize-that-whenever_2872044.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70e/harry-browne-3285_bureaucrats_it-s-important-to-realize-that-whenever_2872044.jpg) > “It's important to realize that whenever you give power to politicians or bureaucrats, it will be used for what they want, not for what you want.” [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power given to officials is used for their own agendas, not the public’s. **In simple terms:** Officials act for themselves, not for you. Key Takeaway Demand accountability from leaders. Themes politics power trust Mood skeptical concerned Type political cautionary When to use this quote - voting - activism - community meetings - policy advocacy Key Concepts libertarianism authority self‑interest Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens ensure officials act in public interest? - What mechanisms limit bureaucratic self‑interest? A Different Perspective Officials may still be influenced by public pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bureaucrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bureaucrats/) [Bureaucrats Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bureaucrats-used-3927452/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politicians Bureaucrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politicians-bureaucrats-328910/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Power Politicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-politicians-3931039/) [Realize Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize-power-699236/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [What you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-you-want/) ## Related quotes > [The difference between management and administration (which is what bureaucrats used to do exclusively) is the difference between choice and rigidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-heller/the-difference-between-management-and-administration-which-is-what/) [Robert Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-heller/) > [I think everyone remembers how certain Russian bureaucrats used to work against the Ukrainian opposition; I think it is hard to drop old habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yulia-tymoshenko/i-think-everyone-remembers-how-certain-russian-bureaucrats-used-to/) [Yulia Tymoshenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yulia-tymoshenko/) > [Advocacy groups, politicians, and bureaucrats use the government to advance their private good instead of the common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-miller/advocacy-groups-politicians-and-bureaucrats-use-the-government-to/) [Joel Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-miller/) > [Iowans are feeling the pinch of a big federal government, and elected officials like Bruce Braley keep championing the over reaching bureaucracy. 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And both politicians and bureaucrats begin to take you more seriously, as they suddenly feel you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajeev-shukla/people-change-their-opinion-according-to-your-position-and-both/) [Rajeev Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajeev-shukla/) > [“One word: power. The more politicians can control your access to your own wealth and earnings, the more powerful they are. The more politicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/one-word-power-the-more-politicians-can-control-your-access-to-your/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [“only way we can defend the rights and interests of the majority against the greed, arrogance, waste and incompetence of the small ruling elite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-craig/only-way-we-can-defend-the-rights-and-interests-of-the-majority/) [David Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-craig/) > [Suits obviously had helped to promote bad government and he was as guilty as anyone for wearing them so steadfastly for twenty years. Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harrison/suits-obviously-had-helped-to-promote-bad-government-and-he-was-as/) [Jim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harrison/) ## More by Harry Browne > [If younger people see older people who haven't planned ahead and have to rely on charity, the young will be more likely to provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/if-younger-people-see-older-people-who-haven-t-planned-ahead-and-have/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [Everything we know about human nature and about government tells us that individuals using their own money will achieve far more good for themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/everything-we-know-about-human-nature-and-about-government-tells-us/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [You don't have to buy from anyone. You don't have to work at any particular job. You don't have to participate in any given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/you-don-t-have-to-buy-from-anyone-you-don-t-have-to-work-at-any/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [The American way was for commerce, personal relationships, and religion to be voluntary. No one was forced to participate in something he didn't want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/the-american-way-was-for-commerce-personal-relationships-and-religion/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [Conservatives say the government can't end poverty by force, but they believe it can use force to make people moral. Liberals say government can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/conservatives-say-the-government-can-t-end-poverty-by-force-but-they/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [Everyone will experience the consequences of his own acts. 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Only people who bear the consequences of their own acts will care about those consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/only-free-people-have-an-incentive-to-be-virtuous-only-people-who/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [So what is government?... Very simply, it is an agency of coercion. Of course, there are other agencies of coercion - such as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/so-what-is-government-very-simply-it-is-an-agency-of-coercion-of/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [The Constitution isn't written in Chinese, Swahili or Sanskrit. It's in plain English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/the-constitution-isn-t-written-in-chinese-swahili-or-sanskrit-it-s-in/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [The press is hostile to the idea of liberty. Most people in the press are for big government. Most people think that the solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/the-press-is-hostile-to-the-idea-of-liberty-most-people-in-the-press/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [There's nothing shameful in acknowledging that you don't have the answers to every question about life. Just accept the fact that you know only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/there-s-nothing-shameful-in-acknowledging-that-you-don-t-have-the/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [Forcing people to be generous isn't humanitarian, effective, compassionate or moral. Only acts that are truly voluntary for all concerned can be truly compassionate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/forcing-people-to-be-generous-isn-t-humanitarian-effective/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [Democratic politicians want to solve the crisis of poor education by taking more of your money and using it to reduce classroom sizes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/democratic-politicians-want-to-solve-the-crisis-of-poor-education-by/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) [Explore all 134 Harry Browne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) ## More Bureaucrats quotes > [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. 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Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-howard/) > [Politicians and bureaucrats are substituting their uninformed, largely political decisions for those of the marketplace. 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They will maximize their incentives just like everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-buchanan/politicians-and-bureaucrats-are-no-different-from-the-rest-of-us-they/) [James M. Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-buchanan/) > [The nearest thing to immortality in this world is a government bureau.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-s-johnson/the-nearest-thing-to-immortality-in-this-world-is-a-government-bureau/) [Hugh S. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-s-johnson/) > [The people want government that works for them at every level. 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