--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most powerful force possessed by the…" description: "\"The most powerful force possessed by the individual citizen is her own government. ... Government is the only organized mechanism that makes possible t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/john-ralston-saul-3128_citizens_the-most-powerful-force-possessed-by-the_3092511.jpg" --- # The most powerful force possessed by the individual… ![“The most powerful force possessed by the individual citizen is her own government. ... Government is the only organized mechanism that makes possible that level of shared disinterest known as the public good.” quote by John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/john-ralston-saul-3128_citizens_the-most-powerful-force-possessed-by-the_3092511.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/john-ralston-saul-3128_citizens_the-most-powerful-force-possessed-by-the_3092511.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/john-ralston-saul-3128_citizens_the-most-powerful-force-possessed-by-the_3092511.jpg) > “The most powerful force possessed by the individual citizen is her own government. ... Government is the only organized mechanism that makes possible that level of shared disinterest known as the public good.” [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The individual’s greatest power lies in influencing government, which enables collective action for the public good. **In simple terms:** Citizens can shape government, which serves the common good. Key Takeaway Engage civically to affect change. Themes civic engagement public good government power individual agency Mood reflective determined Type political inspirational When to use this quote - voting - community organizing - policy advocacy - public service Key Concepts democracy collective action social contract Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals effectively influence policy? - What barriers exist to civic participation? A Different Perspective Government may be limited by entrenched interests and bureaucracy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizen Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizen-government-275649/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Disinterest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disinterest/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-government/) [Government Organized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-organized-663914/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuality/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Mechanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mechanism/) [Most powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most-powerful/) [Organized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organized/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Possessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessed/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Powerful force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful-force/) [Public good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-good/) ## Related quotes > [Our civilization is locked in the grip of an ideology - corporatism. An ideology that denies and undermines the legitimacy of individuals as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/our-civilization-is-locked-in-the-grip-of-an-ideology-corporatism-an/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [The acceptance of corporatism causes us to deny and undermine the legitimacy of the individual as citizen in a democracy. The result of such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/the-acceptance-of-corporatism-causes-us-to-deny-and-undermine-the/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [ The best defence \[for a democracy, for the public good\] is aggressiveness, the aggressiveness of the involved citizen. We need to reassert that slow,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/the-best-defence-for-a-democracy-for-the-public-good-is/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [The stress on the moral basis of policy and action, belief in unity and discipline, faith in a synthesis of heritage and science, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-nath-kovind/the-stress-on-the-moral-basis-of-policy-and-action-belief-in-unity/) [Ram Nath Kovind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-nath-kovind/) > [“Politics is the participation of the citizen in his government. The kind of government he has depends entirely on the quality of that participation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/politics-is-the-participation-of-the-citizen-in-his-government-the/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The feelings, sentiments, values and responses of our children, or of any citizen, are none of the government's damned business. That we must support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mitchell/the-feelings-sentiments-values-and-responses-of-our-children-or-of/) [Richard Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mitchell/) > [The enactment of the Homestead Act would create the strongest tie between the citizen and the Government-he would with cheerfulness contribute his proportionable part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-johnson/the-enactment-of-the-homestead-act-would-create-the-strongest-tie/) [Andrew Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-johnson/) > [Were not cutting the budget simply for the sake of sounder financial management. This is only a first step toward returning power to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/were-not-cutting-the-budget-simply-for-the-sake-of-sounder-financial/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [But ours was intended to be a citizen government. It is what of, by and for the people means. And when our most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/but-ours-was-intended-to-be-a-citizen-government-it-is-what-of-by-and/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [It is not the function of government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-not-the-function-of-government-to-keep-the-citizen-from-falling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That is how our nation has been built - by a partnership between citizen and government, between individual and society, between a family and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-nath-kovind/that-is-how-our-nation-has-been-built-by-a-partnership-between/) [Ram Nath Kovind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-nath-kovind/) > [Government is not a substitute for people, but simply the instrument through which they act. And if the individual fails to do his duty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-baruch/government-is-not-a-substitute-for-people-but-simply-the-instrument/) [Bernard Baruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-baruch/) > [My task as a citizen is to get the government to do more good and less inefficient and wasteful work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-campolo/my-task-as-a-citizen-is-to-get-the-government-to-do-more-good-and/) [Tony Campolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-campolo/) > [The decisions we make about the Internet don't affect just the Internet – they are answers to basic questions about the relationship each citizen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-godwin/the-decisions-we-make-about-the-internet-don-t-affect-just-the/) [Mike Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-godwin/) > [We must remember that ours was intended to be a citizen government, and we must work together to restore our country and the character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/we-must-remember-that-ours-was-intended-to-be-a-citizen-government/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) ## More by John Ralston Saul > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Some people don't like the 'comeback' because that suggests they went somewhere, which they didn't. That isn't what I mean. In my mind, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/some-people-don-t-like-the-comeback-because-that-suggests-they-went/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [In the humanist ideal, the mainstream is where interesting debate, the generating of new ideas and creativity take place. In rational society this mainstream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/in-the-humanist-ideal-the-mainstream-is-where-interesting-debate-the/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [There's two ways of dealing with fears of mortality. One of them is to hide, so every day you wear the same suit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/there-s-two-ways-of-dealing-with-fears-of-mortality-one-of-them-is-to/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [A foreigner is an individual who is considered either comic or sinister. When the victim of a disaster - preferably natural but sometimes political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/a-foreigner-is-an-individual-who-is-considered-either-comic-or/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Rights are a protection from society. But only by fulfilling their obligations to society can the individual give meaning to that protection. (V -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/rights-are-a-protection-from-society-but-only-by-fulfilling-their/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [All the lessons of psychiatry, psychology, social work, indeed culture, have taught us over the last hundred years that it is the acceptance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/all-the-lessons-of-psychiatry-psychology-social-work-indeed-culture/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [The neo-conservatives, who are closely linked to the neo-corporatists, are rather different. They claim to be conservatives, when everything they stand for is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/the-neo-conservatives-who-are-closely-linked-to-the-neo-corporatists/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Armaments; extremely useful for fighting wars, a deadweight in any civil economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/armaments-extremely-useful-for-fighting-wars-a-deadweight-in-any/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [In the European tradition, rivers are seen as divisions between peoples. But in the Aboriginal tradition, rivers are seen as the glue, the highway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/in-the-european-tradition-rivers-are-seen-as-divisions-between/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [“Basic technical training is, of course, useful. But to treat it as anything more than that is to lock students into technology that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/basic-technical-training-is-of-course-useful-but-to-treat-it-as/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Bankers - pillars of society who are going to hell if there is a God and He has been accurately quoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/bankers-pillars-of-society-who-are-going-to-hell-if-there-is-a-god/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [If allowed to run free of the social system, capitalism will attempt to corrupt and undermine democracy, which is after all not a natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/if-allowed-to-run-free-of-the-social-system-capitalism-will-attempt/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [For about 125 years, give or take, the Canadian government has acted extremely badly - even in a way which should be called evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/for-about-125-years-give-or-take-the-canadian-government-has-acted/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Ten geographers who think the world is flat will tend to reinforce each other's errors ... Only a sailor can set them straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/ten-geographers-who-think-the-world-is-flat-will-tend-to-reinforce/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) [Explore all 139 John Ralston Saul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## More Citizens quotes > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [I will be a model prisoner, as I have been a model citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-edwards/i-will-be-a-model-prisoner-as-i-have-been-a-model-citizen/) [Edwin Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-edwards/) > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [“The police ultimately pay the price for poor customer service when citizens become fearful of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-police-ultimately-pay-the-price-for-poor-customer-service-when/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Worship isn't destructive, Martin. I know that. I don't. I only know it's the core of his life. What else has he got? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/worship-isn-t-destructive-martin-i-know-that-i-don-t-i-only-know-it-s/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [No greater victory can be won by citizens or soldiers than to transform temporary foes into permanent friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/no-greater-victory-can-be-won-by-citizens-or-soldiers-than-to/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in bonds of fraternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/let-us-at-all-times-remember-that-all-american-citizens-are-brothers/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-cox/a-free-society-depends-upon-a-high-degree-of-mutual-trust-the-public/) [Archibald Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-cox/) > [My dreams were always small and puny. All I ever needed was a little house with a little picket fence by the sea. Little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imelda-marcos/my-dreams-were-always-small-and-puny-all-i-ever-needed-was-a-little/) [Imelda Marcos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imelda-marcos/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we're supposed to make. We waste so much time making decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-think-most-of-us-are-raised-with-preconceived-notions-of-the/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) > [Without the ability to talk about government power, there's no way for citizens to make sure this power isn't being misused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/without-the-ability-to-talk-about-government-power-there-s-no-way-for/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What I will stand up for is what I think is right and for the best interests of the citizens of the state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-judge/what-i-will-stand-up-for-is-what-i-think-is-right-and-for-the-best/) [Patty Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-judge/) [Browse all 4,189 Citizens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most powerful force possessed by the individual citizen is her own government. ... 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