--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is beginning to be doubtful whether…" description: "\"It is beginning to be doubtful whether Parliament and Congress sit in Westminster and Washington, or in the editorial rooms of the leading journals,--s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/james-russell-lowell-561_congress_it-is-beginning-to-be-doubtful-whether-p_54083.png" --- # It is beginning to be doubtful whether Parliament and… ![“It is beginning to be doubtful whether Parliament and Congress sit in Westminster and Washington, or in the editorial rooms of the leading journals,--so thoroughly is everything debated before the authorized and responsible debaters get on their legs.” quote by James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/james-russell-lowell-561_congress_it-is-beginning-to-be-doubtful-whether-p_54083.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/james-russell-lowell-561_congress_it-is-beginning-to-be-doubtful-whether-p_54083.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/james-russell-lowell-561_congress_it-is-beginning-to-be-doubtful-whether-p_54083.png) > “It is beginning to be doubtful whether Parliament and Congress sit in Westminster and Washington, or in the editorial rooms of the leading journals,--so thoroughly is everything debated before the authorized and responsible debaters get on their legs.” [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) ## 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 suggests that media outlets dominate public discourse, making formal legislative bodies seem secondary in shaping policy and opinion. **In simple terms:** Media shapes politics more than parliaments. Key Takeaway Media can preempt political debate. Themes media influence political discourse public opinion institutional relevance information control Mood critical cynical reflective Type observation political commentary social critique When to use this quote - policy formation - election coverage - legislative hearings - public protests - academic debates Key Concepts agenda-setting framing media power democratic process Practical Applications - media analysis - political communication studies Questions to Reflect On - How does media framing affect legislative action? - What mechanisms allow editorial rooms to set agendas? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Parliament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parliament/) ## Related quotes > [The power of real debate is in the language and intellectual honesty of the debaters, alongside the engagement of spectators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruzwana-bashir/the-power-of-real-debate-is-in-the-language-and-intellectual-honesty/) [Ruzwana Bashir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruzwana-bashir/) > [If all men saw the fair and wise the same men would not have debaters' double strife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/if-all-men-saw-the-fair-and-wise-the-same-men-would-not-have-debaters/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [I grew up in New Jersey in the '80s. 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But also, I'm kind of the chief executive of the Palace of Westminster, the House…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-hoyle/i-make-sure-everything-goes-evenly-in-the-chamber-but-also-i-m-kind/) [Lindsay Hoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-hoyle/) > [Some days I feel like I'm only the fire hydrant to Westminster dog show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/some-days-i-feel-like-i-m-only-the-fire-hydrant-to-westminster-dog/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [Westminster is no joke. I took some tough classes there. It prepared me for a tough career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-baldwin/westminster-is-no-joke-i-took-some-tough-classes-there-it-prepared-me/) [Brooke Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-baldwin/) ## More by James Russell Lowell > [We kind o' thought Christ went agin war an' pillage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/we-kind-o-thought-christ-went-agin-war-an-pillage/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [He gives only the worthless gold who gives from a sense of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/he-gives-only-the-worthless-gold-who-gives-from-a-sense-of-duty/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [As life runs on, the road grows strange with faces new - and near the end. The milestones into headstones change, Neath every one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/as-life-runs-on-the-road-grows-strange-with-faces-new-and-near-the/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Where one person shapes their life by precept and example, there are a thousand who have shaped it by impulse and circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/where-one-person-shapes-their-life-by-precept-and-example-there-are-a/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Granting our wish is one of Fate's saddest jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/granting-our-wish-is-one-of-fate-s-saddest-jokes/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Most religion-mongers have bated their paradises with a bit of toasted cheese. 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