--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The function and responsibility of the…" description: "\"The function and responsibility of the President is to set before the American people the unfinished business, the things we must do if we are going to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/461/john-f-kennedy-246_american-people_the-function-and-responsibility-of-the-p_1314008.jpg" --- # The function and responsibility of the President is to set… ![“The function and responsibility of the President is to set before the American people the unfinished business, the things we must do if we are going to succeed as a nation.” quote by John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/461/john-f-kennedy-246_american-people_the-function-and-responsibility-of-the-p_1314008.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/461/john-f-kennedy-246_american-people_the-function-and-responsibility-of-the-p_1314008.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/461/john-f-kennedy-246_american-people_the-function-and-responsibility-of-the-p_1314008.jpg) > “The function and responsibility of the President is to set before the American people the unfinished business, the things we must do if we are going to succeed as a nation.” [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The president must outline unfinished national goals and rally citizens to achieve collective success. **In simple terms:** President sets national goals for success. Key Takeaway Focus on shared purpose and action. Themes leadership national purpose vision Mood hopeful determined Type political inspirational When to use this quote - government - public service - citizen engagement Key Concepts policy collective effort Questions to Reflect On - What unfinished business should we prioritize? - How can citizens contribute? A Different Perspective Political realities may limit ambition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function/) [Function Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function-responsibility-3227933/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President Set](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-set-1993344/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Responsibility President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility-president-1241306/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Unfinished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfinished/) [Unfinished business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfinished-business/) ## Related quotes > [Self expression is a function of responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-erhard/self-expression-is-a-function-of-responsibility/) [Werner Erhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-erhard/) > [Harry Truman once said, 'There are 14 or 15 million Americans who have the resources to have representatives in Washington to protect their interests,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/harry-truman-once-said-there-are-14-or-15-million-americans-who-have/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [This, in my view, is the highest responsibility of the President of the United States, which is to maintain the safety of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/this-in-my-view-is-the-highest-responsibility-of-the-president-of-the/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [We put a President up there, and then we set fire to him because he's not solving all our problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/we-put-a-president-up-there-and-then-we-set-fire-to-him-because-he-s/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I think the president can set a tone and say we're not divided by gender, age, race. We're all Americans and want the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-jindal/i-think-the-president-can-set-a-tone-and-say-we-re-not-divided-by/) [Bobby Jindal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-jindal/) > [So the president set out the policy guidance and said it had to take place in a multilateral fashion so that other countries in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-reiss/so-the-president-set-out-the-policy-guidance-and-said-it-had-to-take/) [Mitchell Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-reiss/) > [The thing is not to leave unfinished business; make every day count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-amos/the-thing-is-not-to-leave-unfinished-business-make-every-day-count/) [Wally Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-amos/) > [“Much of what I have done is left unfinished- not because I left it too soon, not because I was lazy, but because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/much-of-what-i-have-done-is-left-unfinished-not-because-i-left-it-too/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [My final fight was called 'Unfinished Business' - and I finished it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-froch/my-final-fight-was-called-unfinished-business-and-i-finished-it/) [Carl Froch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-froch/) > [My mother has often said that the issue of women is the unfinished business of the 21st century. That is certainly true. But so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-clinton/my-mother-has-often-said-that-the-issue-of-women-is-the-unfinished/) [Chelsea Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-clinton/) > [The one true freedom in life is to come to terms with death, and as early as possible, for death is an event that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/the-one-true-freedom-in-life-is-to-come-to-terms-with-death-and-as/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [Life should be an unfinished business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-fletcher/life-should-be-an-unfinished-business/) [Colin Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-fletcher/) > [If you must begin then go all the way, because if you begin and quit, the unfinished business you have left behind begins to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/if-you-must-begin-then-go-all-the-way-because-if-you-begin-and-quit/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [He looked at my lips. I suddenly found myself wanting to lick his. 'Yes,' he replied, his eyes going molten. My breath caught in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/he-looked-at-my-lips-i-suddenly-found-myself-wanting-to-lick-his-yes/) [Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/) > [From '86 until the summer of last year, wherever I went, people would say, You would have made a great James Bond! Weren't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/from-86-until-the-summer-of-last-year-wherever-i-went-people-would/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) ## More by John F. Kennedy > [“We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-shall-pay-any-price-bear-any-burden-meet-any-hardship-support-any/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We stand today on the edge of a new frontier - the frontier of the 1960's - a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-stand-today-on-the-edge-of-a-new-frontier-the-frontier-of-the-1960/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We will neglect our cities to our peril, for in neglecting them we neglect the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-will-neglect-our-cities-to-our-peril-for-in-neglecting-them-we/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We must recognize that every nation determines its policies in terms of its own interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-must-recognize-that-every-nation-determines-its-policies-in-terms/) [John F. 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Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [There comes a point where you see no evidence that the carrot and diplomacy are working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/there-comes-a-point-where-you-see-no-evidence-that-the-carrot-and/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Suspicion on one side breeds suspicion on the other, and new weapons beget counter-weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/suspicion-on-one-side-breeds-suspicion-on-the-other-and-new-weapons/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We have some of the most influential Members of Congress here today, and I do hope that we can get this appropriation for these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-have-some-of-the-most-influential-members-of-congress-here-today/) [John F. 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