--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Superficial observers have long…" description: "\"Superficial observers have long criticized the United States for making a fetish of youth. This is unfair. Uniquely among modern organs of public and p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e24/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_administration_superficial-observers-have-long-criticiz_1652717.jpg" --- # Superficial observers have long criticized the United… ![“Superficial observers have long criticized the United States for making a fetish of youth. This is unfair. Uniquely among modern organs of public and private administration, its national legislature rewards senility.” quote by John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e24/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_administration_superficial-observers-have-long-criticiz_1652717.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e24/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_administration_superficial-observers-have-long-criticiz_1652717.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e24/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_administration_superficial-observers-have-long-criticiz_1652717.jpg) > “Superficial observers have long criticized the United States for making a fetish of youth. This is unfair. Uniquely among modern organs of public and private administration, its national legislature rewards senility.” [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The US political system tends to value youth culture while paradoxically rewarding older legislators, creating a mismatch between public admiration and institutional incentives. **In simple terms:** America praises youth but rewards older lawmakers. Key Takeaway Recognize and address the age bias in policy making. Themes age bias politics culture institutional incentives Mood critical reflective Type analytical political When to use this quote - voting behavior - policy reform - media analysis - public discourse - organizational hiring Key Concepts gerontology political economy social critique Questions to Reflect On - How does age affect policy outcomes? - What reforms could balance youthful innovation with seasoned wisdom? A Different Perspective Older legislators may bring experience that youth culture lacks, complicating the criticism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Administration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/administration/) [Fetish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fetish/) [Organs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organs/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [Inflation is the senility of democracies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/inflation-is-the-senility-of-democracies/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [When I was very young and the urge to be someplace was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/when-i-was-very-young-and-the-urge-to-be-someplace-was-on-me-i-was/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I went from adolescence to senility, trying to bypass maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-went-from-adolescence-to-senility-trying-to-bypass-maturity/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [“I am in the prime of senility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-am-in-the-prime-of-senility/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [When I was very young and the urge to be someplace else was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/when-i-was-very-young-and-the-urge-to-be-someplace-else-was-on-me-i/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“How's Mother?" "In and out." As I said it I wondered which was the bad way: in or out? Was she lost when she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-everett/how-s-mother-in-and-out-as-i-said-it-i-wondered-which-was-the-bad-way/) [Percival Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-everett/) > [“Nothing is sadder than someone who has lost his memory, and the church which has lost its memory is in the same state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-chadwick/nothing-is-sadder-than-someone-who-has-lost-his-memory-and-the-church/) [Henry Chadwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-chadwick/) > [You know, I have found a new way to get high and stay spaced out for hours on end, and the government can't stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/you-know-i-have-found-a-new-way-to-get-high-and-stay-spaced-out-for/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [Time and happenings and the grace of God are the best solvers of puzzles. 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-whitney-brown/you-know-you-look-at-the-chaos-in-the-conservative-camp-right-now-it/) [A. Whitney Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-whitney-brown/) ## More by John Kenneth Galbraith > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Technology means the systematic application of scientific or other organized knowledge to practical tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/technology-means-the-systematic-application-of-scientific-or-other/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [“Men can labor to make sense out of single steps toward the goal without ever pausing to reflect that the goal itself is ludicrous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/men-can-labor-to-make-sense-out-of-single-steps-toward-the-goal/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Consumer wants can have bizarre, frivolous, or even immoral origins, and an admirable case can still be made for a society that seeks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/consumer-wants-can-have-bizarre-frivolous-or-even-immoral-origins-and/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [That one never need to look beyond the love of money for explanation of human behavior is one of the most jealously guarded simplification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/that-one-never-need-to-look-beyond-the-love-of-money-for-explanation/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Agriculture is one economic activity that does not obey the laws of demand and supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/agriculture-is-one-economic-activity-that-does-not-obey-the-laws-of/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [If we were not in Vietnam, all that part of the world would be enjoying the obscurity it so richly deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/if-we-were-not-in-vietnam-all-that-part-of-the-world-would-be/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Washington is a place where men praise courage and act on elaborate personal cost-benefit calculations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/washington-is-a-place-where-men-praise-courage-and-act-on-elaborate/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [World War II revealed two of the enduring features of the Keynesian Revolution. One was the moral difference between spending for welfare and spending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/world-war-ii-revealed-two-of-the-enduring-features-of-the-keynesian/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Money is what fueled the industrial society. But in the informational society, the fuel, the power, is knowledge. 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It has not been the devil's policy to keep the masses of mankind in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/a-bad-book-is-the-worse-that-it-cannot-repent-it-has-not-been-the/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Genius is a rising stock market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/genius-is-a-rising-stock-market/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Mr. David Stockman has said that supply-side economics was merely a cover for the trickle-down approach to economic policy—what an older and less elegant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/mr-david-stockman-has-said-that-supply-side-economics-was-merely-a/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Inventions that are not made, like babies that are not born, are rarely missed. In the absence of new developments, old ones may seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/inventions-that-are-not-made-like-babies-that-are-not-born-are-rarely/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) [Explore all 434 John Kenneth Galbraith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) ## More Administration quotes > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. 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He's taken on a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-axelrod/listen-i-have-a-great-affection-and-respect-for-joe-biden-i-think-he/) [David Axelrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-axelrod/) > [I don't believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that Iraq had nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-don-t-believe-anyone-that-i-know-in-the-administration-ever-said/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [What was unique about me being in City Hall during the Giuliani Administration, I was the only one who wasn't an attorney. I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lhota/what-was-unique-about-me-being-in-city-hall-during-the-giuliani/) [Joe Lhota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lhota/) > [The Trump administration launched the cruise missile strikes in Syria, an act of war, without a U.N. resolution or Congressional authorization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/the-trump-administration-launched-the-cruise-missile-strikes-in-syria/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [The only way I'll ever run a marathon is if I'm involved in the administration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-phillips/the-only-way-i-ll-ever-run-a-marathon-is-if-i-m-involved-in-the/) [Sally Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-phillips/) > [Obama spent the first two years of his administration practicing political unilateral disarmament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/obama-spent-the-first-two-years-of-his-administration-practicing/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [The actions of the University in my case make it abundantly clear that the Administration's rhetoric about Harvard's desire to attract and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/the-actions-of-the-university-in-my-case-make-it-abundantly-clear/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [In mid-May, the House of Representatives approved the full amount of money that the Veterans Administration said was needed for next year - plus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-hastings/in-mid-may-the-house-of-representatives-approved-the-full-amount-of/) [Doc Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-hastings/) > [In 1953, the United States played a significant role in orchestrating the overthrow of Iran's popular prime minister, Mohammed Mossadegh. 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