--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They're still a subject beholden to…" description: "\"They're still a subject beholden to special interests, but at least they have a national constituency. At least they have to think about national major..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/mark-shields-1572_interest_they-re-still-a-subject-beholden-to-spec_1761275.png" --- # They're still a subject beholden to special interests, but… ![“They're still a subject beholden to special interests, but at least they have a national constituency. At least they have to think about national majorities.” quote by Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/mark-shields-1572_interest_they-re-still-a-subject-beholden-to-spec_1761275.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/mark-shields-1572_interest_they-re-still-a-subject-beholden-to-spec_1761275.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/mark-shields-1572_interest_they-re-still-a-subject-beholden-to-spec_1761275.png) > “They're still a subject beholden to special interests, but at least they have a national constituency. At least they have to think about national majorities.” [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even those with special interests must consider national majority interests, implying a balance of influence. **In simple terms:** Special interests must heed national will. Key Takeaway Balance influence. Themes politics special interests national interest Mood analytical concerned Type political policy When to use this quote - voting - civic engagement - legislative advocacy Key Concepts democracy policy making Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens ensure national interests dominate? - What mechanisms check special interests? A Different Perspective May underestimate power of lobbying. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Special interests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-interests/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [My experience is that the Australian people rarely get it wrong - they will vote for a united party that is able to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/my-experience-is-that-the-australian-people-rarely-get-it-wrong-they/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [ I don't think in national categories. For me it \[policy\] is about concepts and substance. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-juncker/i-don-t-think-in-national-categories-for-me-it-policy-is-about/) [Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-juncker/) > [I don't think there is a national pasttime. Watching TV is a national pasttime. Really. If there is a national pasttime, it is watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/i-don-t-think-there-is-a-national-pasttime-watching-tv-is-a-national/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [I do not think about the national team too much because footballistically it is not of too much interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/i-do-not-think-about-the-national-team-too-much-because/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [It shouldn't be that people think the National Gallery is just for middle-class white people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munira-mirza/it-shouldn-t-be-that-people-think-the-national-gallery-is-just-for/) [Munira Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munira-mirza/) > [Do I think I'm a national treasure? I don't see why not? I don't see why I shouldn't be. I'm a good lad, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-williams/do-i-think-i-m-a-national-treasure-i-don-t-see-why-not-i-don-t-see/) [Robbie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-williams/) > [I personally think our national anthem is not patriotic enough. There is another poem by Dwijendralal Ray called 'Dhono Dhanne Pushpe Bhora,' which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-banerjee/i-personally-think-our-national-anthem-is-not-patriotic-enough-there/) [Victor Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-banerjee/) > [Very obviously, the electorate as a mass has not imbibed the philosophy of 'think national, act local' or even 'think big and beyond' -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-bhaskara-rao/very-obviously-the-electorate-as-a-mass-has-not-imbibed-the/) [N. Bhaskara Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-bhaskara-rao/) > [I think there should be national standards on the use of legal force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-think-there-should-be-national-standards-on-the-use-of-legal-force/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I think on a national level your Department of Law there in the White House would look at some of the things that we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/i-think-on-a-national-level-your-department-of-law-there-in-the-white/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [We have weakened the parties and strengthened all the special interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/we-have-weakened-the-parties-and-strengthened-all-the-special/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [The Sheldon Adelsons, the Koch brothers, the George Soroses, what we want to try to do is force them into the parties, not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/the-sheldon-adelsons-the-koch-brothers-the-george-soroses-what-we/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [The parliamentary principle of decision by majorities only appears during quite short periods of history, and those are always periods of decadence in nations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-parliamentary-principle-of-decision-by-majorities-only-appears/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Majorities, as such, afford no guarantees for justice. They are men of the same nature as minorities. They have the same passions for fame,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/majorities-as-such-afford-no-guarantees-for-justice-they-are-men-of/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Majorities and minorities cannot rightfully be taken at all into account in deciding questions of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/majorities-and-minorities-cannot-rightfully-be-taken-at-all-into/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) ## More by Mark Shields > [I'm not sure Betsy DeVos has ever spent a day in a public school. And I don't - I'm pretty sure Donald Trump hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/i-m-not-sure-betsy-devos-has-ever-spent-a-day-in-a-public-school-and/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [Donald Trump is sounding the same theme he has sounded since May or June of 2015.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/donald-trump-is-sounding-the-same-theme-he-has-sounded-since-may-or/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [I do look upon the secretary of education's primary responsibility as the quality of education that - and improving the education that every child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/i-do-look-upon-the-secretary-of-education-s-primary-responsibility-as/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [Dan Coats, retiring senator from Indiana, a mild-mannered man, a former United States ambassador to Germany, former congressman, said of Ted Cruz he's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/dan-coats-retiring-senator-from-indiana-a-mild-mannered-man-a-former/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [It's interesting how identity politics and Ann Coulter-style tactics have now blossomed. But they were always there in CPAC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/it-s-interesting-how-identity-politics-and-ann-coulter-style-tactics/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [When you run for president of the United States, everybody does the same thing in the campaign-they talk about veterans, how much they admire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/when-you-run-for-president-of-the-united-states-everybody-does-the/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [Americans don't like powerful figures who punch down, that is, who pick on someone less powerful and less able to speak for themselves than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/americans-don-t-like-powerful-figures-who-punch-down-that-is-who-pick/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [Everyone has to take Donald Trump seriously, and I think that's what we're seeing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/everyone-has-to-take-donald-trump-seriously-and-i-think-that-s-what/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [Donald Trump defies gravity. And so I guess he has to be Donald Trump. It's gotten him so far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/donald-trump-defies-gravity-and-so-i-guess-he-has-to-be-donald-trump/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [ My church \[Catholisism\] is hurting from arrogance and from its indifference to the suffering of children that were abused and the inclination of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/my-church-catholisism-is-hurting-from-arrogance-and-from-its/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [America is Republican until 5:00 or 6:00 at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/america-is-republican-until-5-00-or-6-00-at-night/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [John Kerry's biography was central to his campaign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/john-kerry-s-biography-was-central-to-his-campaign/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [I think Guantanamo, has been synonymous with the staining of American values and American legal tradition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/i-think-guantanamo-has-been-synonymous-with-the-staining-of-american/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [Stronger together is, I think, a preposition and a comparative adjective, but it's not really an action verb or what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/stronger-together-is-i-think-a-preposition-and-a-comparative/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [If you only make fights that you're going to win, there would be no women's vote in America, there would be no civil rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/if-you-only-make-fights-that-you-re-going-to-win-there-would-be-no/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) [Explore all 227 Mark Shields quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) ## More Interest quotes > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [I became a bit of a teacher's pet, and it became known in the school by both faculty and students that I really excelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-became-a-bit-of-a-teacher-s-pet-and-it-became-known-in-the-school/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [It is the interest of the commercial world that wealth should be found everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/it-is-the-interest-of-the-commercial-world-that-wealth-should-be/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [The minimum that most minimalists want leaves in place just the institutions who protect their interests. That's libertarians for you - anarchists who want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-minimum-that-most-minimalists-want-leaves-in-place-just-the/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [Susan B. Anthony must be turning in her grave if she knew that millions of women who have the right to vote are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/susan-b-anthony-must-be-turning-in-her-grave-if-she-knew-that/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Teachers' unions don't act in the interest of most teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-khan/teachers-unions-don-t-act-in-the-interest-of-most-teachers/) [Sal Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-khan/) > [I really like female singers; I've got zero interest in working with male singers. Any male voice I need to do, I can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-really-like-female-singers-i-ve-got-zero-interest-in-working-with/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I could not identify with harming my child or giving up my child. But I could identify with giving up my child if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drea-de-matteo/i-could-not-identify-with-harming-my-child-or-giving-up-my-child-but/) [Drea De Matteo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drea-de-matteo/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I think another thing is that we don't really want exclusivity. We accept that it is in the artist's interest to be on sale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gabriel/i-think-another-thing-is-that-we-don-t-really-want-exclusivity-we/) [Peter Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gabriel/) > [My dream is to play ordinary characters. I have no interest in playing a pretty girl or an NRI girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sobhita-dhulipala/my-dream-is-to-play-ordinary-characters-i-have-no-interest-in-playing/) [Sobhita Dhulipala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sobhita-dhulipala/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) [Browse all 9,703 Interest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They're still a subject beholden to special interests, but at least they have a national constituency. 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