--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a rule, our largest cities are the…" description: "\"As a rule, our largest cities are the worst governed.\" — Josiah Strong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/josiah-strong-24827_cities_as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-wor_2385436.png" --- # As a rule, our largest cities are the worst governed. ![“As a rule, our largest cities are the worst governed.” quote by Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/josiah-strong-24827_cities_as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-wor_2385436.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/josiah-strong-24827_cities_as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-wor_2385436.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/josiah-strong-24827_cities_as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-wor_2385436.png) > “As a rule, our largest cities are the worst governed.” [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Large cities often suffer from inefficient governance due to complexity and scale. **In simple terms:** Big cities are poorly governed. Key Takeaway Focus on improving urban governance. Themes urban planning politics efficiency Mood critical reflective Type analytical political When to use this quote - municipal policy - public administration - urban development Key Concepts centralization bureaucracy scale Questions to Reflect On - How can city leaders simplify governance? - What reforms improve large city administration? A Different Perspective Complexity can hinder effective management. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Cities Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities-worst-5923025/) [Governed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governed/) [Largest Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/largest-cities-5923027/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Worst Governed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-governed-5923026/) ## Related quotes > [There are fewer Arabs in Tel Aviv, one of the largest cities in the Middle East, than there are in Chicago, the largest city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-blumenthal/there-are-fewer-arabs-in-tel-aviv-one-of-the-largest-cities-in-the/) [Max Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-blumenthal/) > [Governments must conform to the nature of the men governed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-vico/governments-must-conform-to-the-nature-of-the-men-governed/) [Giambattista Vico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-vico/) > [The world cannot be governed without juggling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/the-world-cannot-be-governed-without-juggling/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [I think parenting is very different now. 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Their sustenance is governed by rainfall and wind direction. You can study little enclaves of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-predock/the-prime-communities-of-the-southwest-are-survival-communities-their/) [Antoine Predock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-predock/) > [The only legitimate right to govern is an express grant of power from the governed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-harrison/the-only-legitimate-right-to-govern-is-an-express-grant-of-power-from/) [William Henry Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-henry-harrison/) ## More by Josiah Strong > [The rich are richer, and the poor are poorer, in the city than elsewhere; and, as a rule, the greater are the riches of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/the-rich-are-richer-and-the-poor-are-poorer-in-the-city-than/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [We have seen... that, although England is by far the richest nation of Europe, we have already outstripped her in the race after wealth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/we-have-seen-that-although-england-is-by-far-the-richest-nation-of/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [Furthermore, it is significant that the marked characteristics of this race are being here emphasized most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/furthermore-it-is-significant-that-the-marked-characteristics-of-this/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [There the union of Church and State tends strongly to paralyze some of the members of the body of Christ. 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There can be no great change without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/in-europe-the-various-ranks-of-society-are-like-the-strata-of-the/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) > [There are no more new worlds. The unoccupied arable lands of the earth are limited, and will soon be taken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/there-are-no-more-new-worlds-the-unoccupied-arable-lands-of-the-earth/) [Josiah Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) [Explore all 24 Josiah Strong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/) ## More Cities quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. 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I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [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/) > [I didn't know the city at all, but I was so happy to be in New York I cried. I was so excited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-didn-t-know-the-city-at-all-but-i-was-so-happy-to-be-in-new-york-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [Outside of Paris, there is no hope for the cultured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/outside-of-paris-there-is-no-hope-for-the-cultured/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. 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I knew -- the moon's picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-too-tired-to-think-i-merely-felt-the-town-as-a-unique-unreality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 7,153 Cities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a rule, our largest cities are the worst governed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josiah Strong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-worst-governed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cities" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-worst-governed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/josiah-strong-24827_cities_as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-wor_2385436.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/josiah-strong-24827_cities_as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-wor_2385436.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/josiah-strong-24827_cities_as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-wor_2385436.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a rule, our largest cities are the worst governed.” — Josiah Strong", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Josiah Strong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-strong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a rule, our largest cities...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-worst-governed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-strong/as-a-rule-our-largest-cities-are-the-worst-governed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```