--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It requires emphasis that the states…" description: "\"“It requires emphasis that the states established the American Republic and, through the Constitution, retained for themselves significant authority to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/757/mark-r-levin-13287_civil-society_it-requires-emphasis-that-the-states-est_1385798.jpg" --- # It requires emphasis that the states established the… ![“It requires emphasis that the states established the American Republic and, through the Constitution, retained for themselves significant authority to ensure the republic's durability. This is not to say that the states are perfect governing institutions. Many are no more respectful of unalienable…” quote by Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/757/mark-r-levin-13287_civil-society_it-requires-emphasis-that-the-states-est_1385798.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/757/mark-r-levin-13287_civil-society_it-requires-emphasis-that-the-states-est_1385798.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/757/mark-r-levin-13287_civil-society_it-requires-emphasis-that-the-states-est_1385798.jpg) > ““It requires emphasis that the states established the American Republic and, through the Constitution, retained for themselves significant authority to ensure the republic's durability. This is not to say that the states are perfect governing institutions. Many are no more respectful of unalienable rights than is the federal government. But the issue is how best to preserve the civil society in a world of imperfect people and institutions. The answer, the Framers concluded, is to diversify authority with a combination of governing checks, balances, and divisions, intended to prevent the concentration of unbridled power in the hands of a relative few imperfect people.”” [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The framers designed a system of checks, balances, and divided authority to protect the republic from concentrated power, acknowledging imperfect institutions and people. **In simple terms:** Checks and balances limit power and protect society. Key Takeaway Support institutional safeguards. Themes government law citizenship Mood critical thought‑provoking Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - civic education - legal reform Key Concepts federalism constitutional design political theory Questions to Reflect On - How effective are modern checks and balances? - What reforms could improve accountability? A Different Perspective Balancing authority can be politically contentious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-society/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Federal government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/federal-government/) [Perfect people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-people/) [Unalienable rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unalienable-rights/) ## Related quotes > [Ours is a representative republic with a Constitution in which is recognized the natural law and the natural rights of man. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/ours-is-a-representative-republic-with-a-constitution-in-which-is/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [The United States established itself as a trustworthy new nation in its first two decades after the Revolutionary War by paying its debts, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/the-united-states-established-itself-as-a-trustworthy-new-nation-in/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [For an economy to prosper, trust between the states must be established, and their individual strengths be appreciated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/for-an-economy-to-prosper-trust-between-the-states-must-be/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [“American revolutionaries would invoke the same creation story against the British king’s claim to divine right, declaring: We hold these truths to be self-evident;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/american-revolutionaries-would-invoke-the-same-creation-story-against/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [All men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/all-men-are-created-equal-and-have-the-right-to-life-liberty-and-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [You know, that man has a spirit, that each man and woman is unique, that we have duty to promote our unalienable rights and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-that-man-has-a-spirit-that-each-man-and-woman-is-unique-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-lee/that-these-united-colonies-are-and-of-right-ought-to-be-free-and/) [Richard Henry Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-lee/) > [Democracies have been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general been as short in their lives as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/democracies-have-been-found-incompatible-with-personal-security-or/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/a-well-regulated-militia-being-necessary-to-the-security-of-a-free/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children is among the unalienable rights with which the Declaration of Independence proclaims all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/the-right-of-parents-to-direct-the-upbringing-of-their-children-is/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [Democracies have been, and governments called, free; but the spirit of independence and the consciousness of unalienable rights, were never before transfused into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-josepha-hale/democracies-have-been-and-governments-called-free-but-the-spirit-of/) [Sarah Josepha Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-josepha-hale/) > [“The “pursuit of happiness” is such a key element of the “American (ideological) dream” that one tends to forget the contingent origin of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/the-pursuit-of-happiness-is-such-a-key-element-of-the-american/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [The American founding is not just about a group of people, a group of men. It is about an ideal: Both a vision and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/the-american-founding-is-not-just-about-a-group-of-people-a-group-of/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [It is evident that the right of acquiring and possessing property, and having it protected, is one of the natural, inherent, and unalienable rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paterson/it-is-evident-that-the-right-of-acquiring-and-possessing-property-and/) [William Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paterson/) > [“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/we-hold-these-truths-to-be-self-evident-that-all-men-are-created/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by Mark R. Levin > [“Locke said, as have others, that natural law is forever and enduring, and man-made law, which may vary from place to place and time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/locke-said-as-have-others-that-natural-law-is-forever-and-enduring/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Again, for Wilson and the progressives, the American founding was simply a historical event distinct to its own moment and condition. Progress requires that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/again-for-wilson-and-the-progressives-the-american-founding-was/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“In utopia, rule by masterminds is both necessary and necessarily primitive, for it excludes so much that is known to man and about man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/in-utopia-rule-by-masterminds-is-both-necessary-and-necessarily/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“THE END OF THE nineteenth century saw the rise of a movement thoroughly hostile to the underlying principles of the nation’s founding—the “Progressive Movement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/the-end-of-the-nineteenth-century-saw-the-rise-of-a-movement/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Dewey was a stern critic of capitalism and private property rights, which he condemned as a relic of early American principles reinforced in current…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/dewey-was-a-stern-critic-of-capitalism-and-private-property-rights/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Especially threatening, therefore, are the industrious, independent, and successful, for they demonstrate what is actually possible under current societal conditions—achievement, happiness, and fulfillment—thereby contradicting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/especially-threatening-therefore-are-the-industrious-independent-and/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“For Croly, the entire process of popular sovereignty exercised through representative republicanism, which led to the drafting, adoption, and ratification of the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/for-croly-the-entire-process-of-popular-sovereignty-exercised-through/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Equality, as understood by the American Founders, is the natural right of every individual to live freely under self-government, to acquire and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/equality-as-understood-by-the-american-founders-is-the-natural-right/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Herbert Croly (1869–1930) was among the leading academic and progressive thinkers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/herbert-croly-1869-1930-was-among-the-leading-academic-and/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“In a recurring theme among progressives, Croly condemned the Constitution’s separation of powers, a doctrine essential to averting centralized tyranny, as the main obstacle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/in-a-recurring-theme-among-progressives-croly-condemned-the/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“The danger of rejecting America’s founding principles is illustrated best in this instance by Wilson himself. As is well documented, Wilson was an open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/the-danger-of-rejecting-america-s-founding-principles-is-illustrated/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“if our rights are not unalienable, if they don’t come from a source higher than ourselves, then they’re malleable at the will of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/if-our-rights-are-not-unalienable-if-they-don-t-come-from-a-source/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Cicero argues that the source of justice, truth, virtue, etc.—in a word, morality—is natural law. It is permanent and supreme, unalterable by man or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/cicero-argues-that-the-source-of-justice-truth-virtue-etc-in-a-word/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Moreover, the bureaucracy will be of the noblest and most virtuous sort, with no personal, political, or ideological agenda, motivated solely and completely by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/moreover-the-bureaucracy-will-be-of-the-noblest-and-most-virtuous/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“In the civil society, the individual is recognized and accepted as more than an abstract statistic or faceless member of some group; rather, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/in-the-civil-society-the-individual-is-recognized-and-accepted-as/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) [Explore all 51 Mark R. Levin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) ## More Civil society quotes > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [The first person who, having enclosed a plot of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-first-person-who-having-enclosed-a-plot-of-land-took-it-into-his/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Even if a civil society were to be dissolved by the consent of all its members (e.g., if a people inhabiting an island decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/even-if-a-civil-society-were-to-be-dissolved-by-the-consent-of-all/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [ \[T\]here are, at bottom, basically two ways to order social affairs, Coercively, through the mechanisms of the state - what we can call political… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-crane/t-here-are-at-bottom-basically-two-ways-to-order-social-affairs/) [Ed Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-crane/) > [“In Hobbes’ state of nature, when a male individual conquers (contracts with) a female individual he becomes her sexual master and she becomes his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-pateman/in-hobbes-state-of-nature-when-a-male-individual-conquers-contracts/) [Carole Pateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-pateman/) > [“SHOW THE WORLD YOUR STRONG COMPASSION: GIVE YOUR VOICE TO VOICELESS YAZIDI GIRLS!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/widad-akrawi/show-the-world-your-strong-compassion-give-your-voice-to-voiceless/) [Widad Akrawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/widad-akrawi/) > [For achieving good governance political will is necessary. Good governance is a political process. Though role of civil society is critical, without political will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/for-achieving-good-governance-political-will-is-necessary-good/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [“Remember what the fashion big mouths were saying about Jessica Simpson? Looking at her magazine pictures, sucking their teeth, going, "Oh, look at her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whoopi-goldberg/remember-what-the-fashion-big-mouths-were-saying-about-jessica/) [Whoopi Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whoopi-goldberg/) > [Arresting opposition leaders and restricting civil society will not stop people from protesting, but it can create leaderless movements that leave no one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/arresting-opposition-leaders-and-restricting-civil-society-will-not/) [Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/) > [It's clear that it is in the best interest of business to be part of the conservation, along with governments and civil society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/it-s-clear-that-it-is-in-the-best-interest-of-business-to-be-part-of/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [“What is remarkable in Burke’s first performance,” wrote his great nineteenth-century biographer John Morley, “is his discernment of the important fact that behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-levin/what-is-remarkable-in-burke-s-first-performance-wrote-his-great/) [Yuval Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-levin/) > [Security against foreign danger is one of the primitive objects of civil society. It is an avowed and essential object of the American Union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/security-against-foreign-danger-is-one-of-the-primitive-objects-of/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“Everybody is satisfied, that a conservation and secure enjoyment of our natural rights is the great and ultimate purpose of civil society; and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/everybody-is-satisfied-that-a-conservation-and-secure-enjoyment-of/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“The state of civil society, which necessarily generates this aristocracy, is a state of nature; and much more truly so than a savage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/the-state-of-civil-society-which-necessarily-generates-this/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Every government has signed up to a voluntary legal commitment under at least one of the international covenants and conventions based on the Universal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/every-government-has-signed-up-to-a-voluntary-legal-commitment-under/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) [Browse all 322 Civil society quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-society/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It requires emphasis that the states established the American Republic and, through the Constitution, retained for themselves significant authority to ensure the republic's durability. 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