--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a misfortune incident to republican…" description: "\"It is a misfortune incident to republican government, though in a less degree than to other governments, that those who administer it, may forget their..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/james-madison-373_constituents_it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republica_2027019.png" --- # It is a misfortune incident to republican government… ![“It is a misfortune incident to republican government, though in a less degree than to other governments, that those who administer it, may forget their obligations to their constituents, and prove unfaithful to their important trust.” quote by James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/james-madison-373_constituents_it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republica_2027019.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/james-madison-373_constituents_it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republica_2027019.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/james-madison-373_constituents_it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republica_2027019.png) > “It is a misfortune incident to republican government, though in a less degree than to other governments, that those who administer it, may forget their obligations to their constituents, and prove unfaithful to their important trust.” [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that officials in a republic may neglect duties to citizens, betraying trust, though this risk is less than in other regimes. **In simple terms:** Officials may forget duties to people, breaking trust. Key Takeaway Hold leaders accountable. Themes politics trust responsibility Mood cautious reflective Type political ethical When to use this quote - public office - elections - policy making Key Concepts civic duty government accountability Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms ensure officials remember their obligations? - How can citizens enforce accountability? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Misfortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortune/) [Misfortunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortunes/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Republican government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican-government/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Unfaithful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfaithful/) ## Related quotes > [In the extent and proper structure of the Union, therefore, we behold a republican remedy for the disease incident to republican government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/in-the-extent-and-proper-structure-of-the-union-therefore-we-behold-a/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [The definition of the right of suffrage is very justly regarded as a fundamental article of republican government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-definition-of-the-right-of-suffrage-is-very-justly-regarded-as-a/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [If we resort for a criterion to the different principles on which different forms of government are established, we may define a republic to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/if-we-resort-for-a-criterion-to-the-different-principles-on-which/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [If we advert to the nature of republican government, we shall find that the censorial power is in the people over the government, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/if-we-advert-to-the-nature-of-republican-government-we-shall-find/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [In republican government the legislative authority necessarily predominates. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/we-have-seen-that-the-tendency-of-republican-governments-is-to-an/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [I go on the principle that a public debt is a public curse and in a republican government more than in any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/i-go-on-the-principle-that-a-public-debt-is-a-public-curse-and-in-a/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect and promises the cure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/a-republic-by-which-i-mean-a-government-in-which-the-scheme-of/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [The invasion of private rights is chiefly to be apprehended, not from acts of Government contrary to the sense of its constituents, but from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-invasion-of-private-rights-is-chiefly-to-be-apprehended-not-from/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [To what expedient then shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/to-what-expedient-then-shall-we-finally-resort-for-maintaining-in/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) ## More by James Madison > [“Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. 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But besides the danger of a direct mixture of Religion & civil Government , there is an evil which ought to be guarded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/but-besides-the-danger-of-a-direct-mixture-of-religion-civil/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Although all men are born free, slavery has been the general lot of the human race. Ignorant--they have been cheated; asleep--they have been surprised;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/although-all-men-are-born-free-slavery-has-been-the-general-lot-of/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. 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What that's done is made our party urban, more liberal, and so those… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/collin-peterson/so-republicans-packed-all-the-democrats-into-districts-very/) [Collin Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/collin-peterson/) > [Every man must form himself as a particular being, seeking, however, to attain that general idea of which all mankind are constituents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/every-man-must-form-himself-as-a-particular-being-seeking-however-to/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The best leaders are those who break that mission down into the organization's constituent parts, so that everybody understands their role and how it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-best-leaders-are-those-who-break-that-mission-down-into-the/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [One of my goals here in Congress, being the youngest member of the California delegation, is to really try and get the institution to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-swalwell/one-of-my-goals-here-in-congress-being-the-youngest-member-of-the/) [Eric Swalwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-swalwell/) > [And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents' "interests," I shall reply that I was informed that their main interest is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/and-if-i-should-later-be-attacked-for-neglecting-my-constituents/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [I regularly see constituents, speak to people who feel let down by the justice system quite fundamentally, and these are people who don't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-xenophon/i-regularly-see-constituents-speak-to-people-who-feel-let-down-by-the/) [Nick Xenophon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-xenophon/) > [Neither these statesmen nor their constituents sought in any way to use the Government for the interest of themselves or their section, or for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-toombs/neither-these-statesmen-nor-their-constituents-sought-in-any-way-to/) [Robert Toombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-toombs/) > [Of course things get stagnant; people get too used to their environment, but that's why I'm in my district every week, at meetings with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/of-course-things-get-stagnant-people-get-too-used-to-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I went to Ferguson and walked with the demonstrators and saw this heavily armed police force, tactical units pointing sniper rifles at my constituents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lacy-clay-jr/i-went-to-ferguson-and-walked-with-the-demonstrators-and-saw-this/) [William Lacy Clay, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lacy-clay-jr/) > [My focus is on my constituents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-hultgren/my-focus-is-on-my-constituents/) [Randy Hultgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-hultgren/) > [If we can't have the courage to tell our constituents, hey, we've got to cut back, then if we can point to something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-flake/if-we-can-t-have-the-courage-to-tell-our-constituents-hey-we-ve-got/) [Jeff Flake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-flake/) > [By the deficiency or absence of one necessary constituent, all the others being present, the soil is rendered barren for all those crops to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justus-von-liebig/by-the-deficiency-or-absence-of-one-necessary-constituent-all-the/) [Justus von Liebig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justus-von-liebig/) > [I think a lot of people feel that they are just not listened to, and that the politicians in Washington are just playing games…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lieberman/i-think-a-lot-of-people-feel-that-they-are-just-not-listened-to-and/) [Joe Lieberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lieberman/) > [My constituents are my employers - if I let them down I should be accountable to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/my-constituents-are-my-employers-if-i-let-them-down-i-should-be/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) Browse all 259 Constituents quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is a misfortune incident to republican government, though in a less degree than to other governments, that those who administer it, may forget their obligations to their constituents, and prove unfaithful to their important trust.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Madison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republican-government-though-in-a-less/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Constituents" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republican-government-though-in-a-less/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/james-madison-373_constituents_it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republica_2027019.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/james-madison-373_constituents_it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republica_2027019.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0cb/james-madison-373_constituents_it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republica_2027019.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is a misfortune incident to republican government, though in a less degree than to other governments…” — James Madison", "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": "James Madison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is a misfortune incident to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republican-government-though-in-a-less/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/it-is-a-misfortune-incident-to-republican-government-though-in-a-less/#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 } } ] } ```