--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democratic governments are not delivering…" description: "\"Democratic governments are not delivering on their promises, which is partly due to the fact that governments are less powerful than they were after th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/mary-robinson-4639_delivering_democratic-governments-are-not-deliverin_2767341.jpg" --- # Democratic governments are not delivering on their… ![“Democratic governments are not delivering on their promises, which is partly due to the fact that governments are less powerful than they were after the Second World War. There were fewer governments then, but they actually had more political power.” quote by Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/mary-robinson-4639_delivering_democratic-governments-are-not-deliverin_2767341.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/mary-robinson-4639_delivering_democratic-governments-are-not-deliverin_2767341.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/mary-robinson-4639_delivering_democratic-governments-are-not-deliverin_2767341.jpg) > “Democratic governments are not delivering on their promises, which is partly due to the fact that governments are less powerful than they were after the Second World War. There were fewer governments then, but they actually had more political power.” [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern democracies struggle to fulfill promises because state authority has waned since post‑World War II, reducing their capacity to act decisively. **In simple terms:** Governments are weaker now, so promises are harder to keep. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of state power and seek collective action. Themes politics governance trust accountability Mood cautious reflective Type analytical critical When to use this quote - policy making - public advocacy - community organizing - international negotiations Key Concepts democratic legitimacy power diffusion institutional change Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens hold weaker governments accountable? - What alternative structures can compensate for reduced state power? A Different Perspective Power loss can be offset by civil society, but coordination remains difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democratic government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-government/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governments/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-power/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Second world war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-world-war/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) ## Related quotes > [There is a democratic deficit. In Latin America in particular there is real concern that democratic governments are not delivering and that is leading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/there-is-a-democratic-deficit-in-latin-america-in-particular-there-is/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [The natural proclivity of democratic governments is to pursue public policies which concentrate benefits on the well-organized and well-informed, and disperse the costs on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-boettke/the-natural-proclivity-of-democratic-governments-is-to-pursue-public/) [Peter Boettke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-boettke/) > [Governments are based pincipally on force and deception. Democratic governments are based chiefly on deception, other governments on force. And democratic governments, if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/governments-are-based-pincipally-on-force-and-deception-democratic/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [...governments, including free and democratic governments, are not really friendly to freedom and democracy. They abhor any rule of law that limits their powers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jonas/governments-including-free-and-democratic-governments-are-not-really/) [George Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jonas/) > [Defeatism about the feasibility of plans for disarmament and ordered peace has been the most calamitious of all the errors made by democratic governments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-noel-baker-baron-noel-baker/defeatism-about-the-feasibility-of-plans-for-disarmament-and-ordered/) Philip Noel-Baker, Baron Noel-Baker > [If you can't even manage to to force your own presumably democratic governments to allow you to do good things for yourselves, then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael/if-you-can-t-even-manage-to-to-force-your-own-presumably-democratic/) [Ishmael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael/) > [When democratic governments create economic calamity, free markets get the blame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/when-democratic-governments-create-economic-calamity-free-markets-get/) [Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/) > [The reason societies with democratic governments are better places to live in than their alternatives isn't because of some goodness intrinsic to democracy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/the-reason-societies-with-democratic-governments-are-better-places-to/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [To my mind, there is a solution which has to do with democracy, because democratic governments are subject to the will of the people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/to-my-mind-there-is-a-solution-which-has-to-do-with-democracy-because/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [The United States has given frequent and enthusiastic support to the overthrow of democracy in favor of "investor friendly" regimes. The World Bank, IMF,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-s-herman/the-united-states-has-given-frequent-and-enthusiastic-support-to-the/) [Edward S. Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-s-herman/) > [Democratic governments are not suited to the publication of the thunderous revelations I am in the habit of making. The unpublished parts will appear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/democratic-governments-are-not-suited-to-the-publication-of-the/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [Make no mistake - Putin and his gang of oligarchs pose a real threat to democratic governments, including ours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-suozzi/make-no-mistake-putin-and-his-gang-of-oligarchs-pose-a-real-threat-to/) [Tom Suozzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-suozzi/) > [“A politician in our democratic government is a broker for the use of government force to the highest bidders.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erne-lewis/a-politician-in-our-democratic-government-is-a-broker-for-the-use-of/) Erne Lewis > [Secrecy and a free, democratic government don't mix.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/secrecy-and-a-free-democratic-government-don-t-mix/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [The American influence is not so aggressive anymore. The American big business influence in Latin America is not as strong, so people can vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/costa-gavras/the-american-influence-is-not-so-aggressive-anymore-the-american-big/) [Costa-Gavras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/costa-gavras/) ## More by Mary Robinson > [The governments are seen to be less effective than they used to be. The private sector is perceived as being so much more efficient,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/the-governments-are-seen-to-be-less-effective-than-they-used-to-be/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [If the Chinese business community takes the Declaration of Human Rights, core labor standards, and environmental standards seriously, the government of China will take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/if-the-chinese-business-community-takes-the-declaration-of-human/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [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/) > [Since 9/11 the United States has been followed by countries with bad records, such as the former Soviet Union countries, into erosions of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/since-9-11-the-united-states-has-been-followed-by-countries-with-bad/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [I'm not interested in scoring points or being over-critical of the US administration. I want to find the entry points to try and get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/i-m-not-interested-in-scoring-points-or-being-over-critical-of-the-us/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [Tackling the issue of climate change presents us with an inflection point in human history - a climate justice revolution that separates development from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/tackling-the-issue-of-climate-change-presents-us-with-an-inflection/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [Look, you are interested in trying to make sure that governments keep a clean environment, have regard for the lifestyles of indigenous peoples, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/look-you-are-interested-in-trying-to-make-sure-that-governments-keep/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [ I felt when I was elected that the most important task on this island \[Ireland\] was to extend the hand of friendship right across… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/i-felt-when-i-was-elected-that-the-most-important-task-on-this-island/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [We now know that climate change is a driver of migration, and is expected to increase the displacement of populations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/we-now-know-that-climate-change-is-a-driver-of-migration-and-is/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [I was elected by the women of Ireland, who instead of rocking the cradle, rocked the system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/i-was-elected-by-the-women-of-ireland-who-instead-of-rocking-the/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [There are numerous issues that governments used to deal with that they now no longer deal with to the same extent: Prisons have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/there-are-numerous-issues-that-governments-used-to-deal-with-that/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [As Elders, we are fully committed to the principle that all human beings are of equal worth. You will see that we highlight equality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/as-elders-we-are-fully-committed-to-the-principle-that-all-human/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [I agree with those who argue that it is possible to distil from the religions of the world their common values and relevance. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/i-agree-with-those-who-argue-that-it-is-possible-to-distil-from-the/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [Freedom from discrimination for women, ensuring that female children can learn to read, these are human needs for half the human race, not western…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/freedom-from-discrimination-for-women-ensuring-that-female-children/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [All countries are particular and no models are perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/all-countries-are-particular-and-no-models-are-perfect/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) [Explore all 108 Mary Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) ## More Delivering quotes > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [When a person partners with God in delivering a miracle to another person, they have done what they were supposed to do; God can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-wilkinson/when-a-person-partners-with-god-in-delivering-a-miracle-to-another/) [Bruce Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-wilkinson/) > [I really just try to focus every day on delivering the most honest portrayal I can and let everything else take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-saum/i-really-just-try-to-focus-every-day-on-delivering-the-most-honest/) [Sherri Saum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherri-saum/) > [Customer-centricity should be about delivering value for customers that will eventually create value for the company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-thompson/customer-centricity-should-be-about-delivering-value-for-customers/) [Robert G. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-thompson/) > [My real first job was delivering newspapers with I was 15. I would ride my bike around and chuck papers at people's houses. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/my-real-first-job-was-delivering-newspapers-with-i-was-15-i-would/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [It's very clear to users, more clear than in other apps, that Foursquare is an app for search and discovery, and we're very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-crowley/it-s-very-clear-to-users-more-clear-than-in-other-apps-that/) [Dennis Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-crowley/) > [By delivering a wide array of programming to YouTube, the NBA will be able to connect with its existing worldwide fan base and reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hurley/by-delivering-a-wide-array-of-programming-to-youtube-the-nba-will-be/) [Chad Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hurley/) > [ My four-year-old daughter regularly requests reading Book One \[the March\] at bedtime; the methods of reading, delivering, and processing the book's content vary according… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-powell/my-four-year-old-daughter-regularly-requests-reading-book-one-the/) [Nate Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-powell/) > [Losing is the bane and bugbear of every professional athlete's existence, but in baseball the monster seems to hang closer than in other sports,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-angell/losing-is-the-bane-and-bugbear-of-every-professional-athlete-s/) [Roger Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-angell/) > [I supported myself by delivering the 'Wall Street Journal' and doing odd jobs. I love plumbing and carpentry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/i-supported-myself-by-delivering-the-wall-street-journal-and-doing/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him if you don't tell him the truth. Others won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/the-price-of-being-close-to-the-president-is-delivering-bad-news-you/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [Simply coming to the perpetrator and delivering the message is Nozick's definition of revenge. And in that sense, Adi is exacting revenge. When people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/simply-coming-to-the-perpetrator-and-delivering-the-message-is-nozick/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [We've got to be delivering young people, and people that are getting reeducated, people who are getting reemployed, into the marketplace with skills to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-mclane-kuster/we-ve-got-to-be-delivering-young-people-and-people-that-are-getting/) [Ann McLane Kuster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-mclane-kuster/) > [I also think when it comes to delivering on Brexit, we need someone with a passion but also the mastery of the detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-raab/i-also-think-when-it-comes-to-delivering-on-brexit-we-need-someone/) [Dominic Raab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-raab/) > [When we started, I was delivering meals to people in Atlanta. We were a direct-care organization. And it was - people needed meals, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/when-we-started-i-was-delivering-meals-to-people-in-atlanta-we-were-a/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) Browse all 297 Delivering quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Democratic governments are not delivering on their promises, which is partly due to the fact that governments are less powerful than they were after the Second World War. There were fewer governments then, but they actually had more political power.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Robinson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/democratic-governments-are-not-delivering-on-their-promises-which-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Delivering" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/democratic-governments-are-not-delivering-on-their-promises-which-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/mary-robinson-4639_delivering_democratic-governments-are-not-deliverin_2767341.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/mary-robinson-4639_delivering_democratic-governments-are-not-deliverin_2767341.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/488/mary-robinson-4639_delivering_democratic-governments-are-not-deliverin_2767341.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Democratic governments are not delivering on their promises, which is partly due to the fact that…” — Mary Robinson", "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": "Mary Robinson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Democratic governments are not delivering on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/democratic-governments-are-not-delivering-on-their-promises-which-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/democratic-governments-are-not-delivering-on-their-promises-which-is/#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 } } ] } ```