---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We mustn't assume that we are going to…"
description: "\"We mustn't assume that we are going to deinvent government solely from inside the Beltway or within one or two sessions of Congress. We will do it one ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c72/jeb-bush-1082_assuming_we-mustn-t-assume-that-we-are-going-to-d_645639.jpg"
---

#  We mustn't assume that we are going to deinvent government…

![“We mustn't assume that we are going to deinvent government solely from inside the Beltway or within one or two sessions of Congress. We will do it one step at a time, in one community at a time - at the local level and through local institutions like churches, nonprofit and volunteer organizations…” quote by Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c72/jeb-bush-1082_assuming_we-mustn-t-assume-that-we-are-going-to-d_645639.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c72/jeb-bush-1082_assuming_we-mustn-t-assume-that-we-are-going-to-d_645639.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c72/jeb-bush-1082_assuming_we-mustn-t-assume-that-we-are-going-to-d_645639.jpg)

> “We mustn't assume that we are going to deinvent government solely from inside the Beltway or within one or two sessions of Congress. We will do it one step at a time, in one community at a time - at the local level and through local institutions like churches, nonprofit and volunteer organizations and families.”

[Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Change should start locally, using existing institutions step rather than relying on top‑down reforms.

**In simple terms:** Local action builds broader change.

Key Takeaway

Start reform at the neighborhood level.

Themes

grassroots government incremental change

Mood

optimistic pragmatic

Type

inspirational practical

When to use this quote

- community projects
- faith‑based initiatives
- nonprofit partnerships
- family outreach

Key Concepts

civic engagement localism institutional trust

Questions to Reflect On

- What local issue could you improve today?
- How can small successes scale up?

A Different Perspective

Local efforts may be limited without larger policy support.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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[Erik Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-prince/)

> [I think the media is very much like the inside-the-Beltway crowd. They're not average Americans themselves. They're under a lot of pressure from editors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/i-think-the-media-is-very-much-like-the-inside-the-beltway-crowd-they/)

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> [I will persist. I will always take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-will-persist-i-will-always-take-another-step-if-that-is-of-no-avail/)

[Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/)

> [The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-girard/the-elevator-to-success-is-out-of-order-you-ll-have-to-use-the-stairs/)

[Joe Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-girard/)

## More by Jeb Bush

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> [Barack Obama became president, and he abandoned Iraq. He left, and when he left Al Qaida was done for. ISIS was created because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/barack-obama-became-president-and-he-abandoned-iraq-he-left-and-when/)

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> [Clearly if the United States' relationship with Cuba changed, which would require a regime change inside Cuba, if Cuba moved towards a more democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/clearly-if-the-united-states-relationship-with-cuba-changed-which/)

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> [But without a caring society, without each citizen voluntarily accepting the weight of responsibility, government is destined to grow even larger, taking more of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/but-without-a-caring-society-without-each-citizen-voluntarily/)

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> [ Donald \[Trump\], you're not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency. That's not going to happen. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/donald-trump-you-re-not-going-to-be-able-to-insult-your-way-to-the/)

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> [A lot of conservatives, a big part of the Republican base don't like his position on common core, don't like his position on immigration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/a-lot-of-conservatives-a-big-part-of-the-republican-base-don-t-like/)

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[Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/)

[Explore all 296 Jeb Bush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/)

## More Assuming quotes

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

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> [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/)

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[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes

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