--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The tendency everywhere in America to…" description: "\"The tendency everywhere in America to concentrate power and responsibility in one man is unmistakable.\" — James Bryce" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/james-bryce-17617_america_the-tendency-everywhere-in-america-to-co_2625629.png" --- # The tendency everywhere in America to concentrate power… ![“The tendency everywhere in America to concentrate power and responsibility in one man is unmistakable.” quote by James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/james-bryce-17617_america_the-tendency-everywhere-in-america-to-co_2625629.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/james-bryce-17617_america_the-tendency-everywhere-in-america-to-co_2625629.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/james-bryce-17617_america_the-tendency-everywhere-in-america-to-co_2625629.png) > “The tendency everywhere in America to concentrate power and responsibility in one man is unmistakable.” [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America tends to centralize power in a single individual, a pattern that is clear and concerning. **In simple terms:** The US often puts too much power in one person. Key Takeaway Promote distributed leadership. Themes politics power governance Mood cautious analytical Type political historical When to use this quote - elections - corporate structures - legislative reforms Key Concepts authoritarianism checks and balances institutional design Questions to Reflect On - How can we strengthen institutional checks? - What alternatives exist to single‑person authority? A Different Perspective Concentration of power can lead to abuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Concentrate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-concentrate-2147792/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/) [Man Unmistakable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-unmistakable-2147791/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [One man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-man/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power and responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-and-responsibility/) [Power Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-responsibility-250399/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Responsibility Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility-man-543661/) [Tendencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tendencies/) [Tendency America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tendency-america-2147793/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Each of us has the power and responsibility to become a rainbow in the clouds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/each-of-us-has-the-power-and-responsibility-to-become-a-rainbow-in/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“A man of power and responsibility nevertheless needs somebody to tell him when he is being a bloody fool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-man-of-power-and-responsibility-nevertheless-needs-somebody-to-tell/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The naked pursuit of power without responsibility often leads to the loss of power and responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatalo-alamu/the-naked-pursuit-of-power-without-responsibility-often-leads-to-the/) [Tatalo Alamu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatalo-alamu/) > [There's a lot of power and responsibility that comes with owning who you are as a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-goth/there-s-a-lot-of-power-and-responsibility-that-comes-with-owning-who/) [Mia Goth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-goth/) > [Great American power and responsibility are not unprecedented, and have been used with restraint and great benefit in the past. We have not assumed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/great-american-power-and-responsibility-are-not-unprecedented-and/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [“When do we stop turning over our personal power and responsibility to liars?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-ericsson/when-do-we-stop-turning-over-our-personal-power-and-responsibility-to/) [Stephanie Ericsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-ericsson/) > [I think we have a tendency in America to keep dividing ourselves, separating ourselves from each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/i-think-we-have-a-tendency-in-america-to-keep-dividing-ourselves/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [Man is not intended to see through the eyes of another, hear through another's ears nor comprehend with another's brain. Each human creature has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/man-is-not-intended-to-see-through-the-eyes-of-another-hear-through/) [Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/) > [“In truth, a State whose society is not sovereign is no sovereign State at all. Such is the case when a society has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/in-truth-a-state-whose-society-is-not-sovereign-is-no-sovereign-state/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [In private matters everyone is equal before the law. In public matters, when it is a question of putting power and responsibility into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pericles/in-private-matters-everyone-is-equal-before-the-law-in-public-matters/) [Pericles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pericles/) > [The first of our senses which we should take care never to let rust through disuse is that sixth sense, the imagination. I mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-fry/the-first-of-our-senses-which-we-should-take-care-never-to-let-rust/) [Christopher Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-fry/) > [Literature for me… tries to heal the harm done by stories. (How much harm? Most of the atrocities of history have been created by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-ryman/literature-for-me-tries-to-heal-the-harm-done-by-stories-how-much/) [Geoff Ryman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-ryman/) > [Each of us has the power and responsibility to heal ourselves, to be our own medicine man or woman. Awakening our innate powers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-roth/each-of-us-has-the-power-and-responsibility-to-heal-ourselves-to-be/) [Gabrielle Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-roth/) > [We in this country, in this generation, areby destiny rather than choicethe watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-in-this-country-in-this-generation-areby-destiny-rather-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This position is untenable, and there can be no pause in the agitation for full political power and responsibility until these are granted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-kelley/this-position-is-untenable-and-there-can-be-no-pause-in-the-agitation/) [Florence Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-kelley/) ## More by James Bryce > [Perhaps the most typically American place in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/perhaps-the-most-typically-american-place-in-america/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [The national park is the best idea America ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/the-national-park-is-the-best-idea-america-ever-had/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [Of all the differences between the Old World and the New, this is perhaps the most salient. Half the wars of Europe, half the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/of-all-the-differences-between-the-old-world-and-the-new-this-is/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [Medicine, the only profession that labors incessantly to destroy the reason for its own existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/medicine-the-only-profession-that-labors-incessantly-to-destroy-the/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [No wonder that, when a political career is so precarious, men of worth and capacity hesitate to embrace it. They cannot afford to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/no-wonder-that-when-a-political-career-is-so-precarious-men-of-worth/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [In Europe we have cities wealthier and more populous than yours and we are not happy. You dream of your posterity; but your posterity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/in-europe-we-have-cities-wealthier-and-more-populous-than-yours-and/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [The ordinary American voter does not object to mediocrity. He likes his candidate to be sensible, vigorous, and, above all, what he calls 'magnetic,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/the-ordinary-american-voter-does-not-object-to-mediocrity-he-likes/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [Life is too short to read inferior books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/life-is-too-short-to-read-inferior-books/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [There is a hearty Puritanism in the view of human nature which pervades the instrument of 1787. It is the work of men who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/there-is-a-hearty-puritanism-in-the-view-of-human-nature-which/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [The massacres are the result of a policy which, as far as can be ascertained, has been entertained for some considerable time by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/the-massacres-are-the-result-of-a-policy-which-as-far-as-can-be/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [To most people, nothing is more troublesome than the effort of thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/to-most-people-nothing-is-more-troublesome-than-the-effort-of-thinking/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [It is accepted as an axiom by all Americans that the civil power ought to be not only neutral and impartial as between different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/it-is-accepted-as-an-axiom-by-all-americans-that-the-civil-power/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/patriotism-consists-not-in-waving-the-flag-but-in-striving-that-our/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [When you find that a book is poor ... waste no more time upon it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/when-you-find-that-a-book-is-poor-waste-no-more-time-upon-it/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [If you have enough room for your books, you don't have enough books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/if-you-have-enough-room-for-your-books-you-don-t-have-enough-books/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) [Explore all 36 James Bryce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) ## 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. 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