--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The American political system is so…" description: "\"The American political system is so porous, it's so open, it's so frustrating for those who are trying to make policy.\" — Michael Mandelbaum" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/michael-mandelbaum-15229_american_the-american-political-system-is-so-poro_457009.png" --- # The American political system is so porous, it's so open… ![“The American political system is so porous, it's so open, it's so frustrating for those who are trying to make policy.” quote by Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/michael-mandelbaum-15229_american_the-american-political-system-is-so-poro_457009.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/michael-mandelbaum-15229_american_the-american-political-system-is-so-poro_457009.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/michael-mandelbaum-15229_american_the-american-political-system-is-so-poro_457009.png) > “The American political system is so porous, it's so open, it's so frustrating for those who are trying to make policy.” [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The system’s openness creates loopholes that frustrate policy makers trying to enact change. **In simple terms:** Open politics can hinder effective policy. Key Takeaway Seek structural reforms. Themes politics policy frustration Mood critical reflective Type analysis commentary When to use this quote - legislative drafting - lobbying - public advocacy Key Concepts Institutional design interest groups regulation Questions to Reflect On - What reforms could reduce loopholes? - How does openness both help and hinder policy? A Different Perspective Too much openness can also enable transparency and accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-system/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) ## Related quotes > [The most frustrating part of trying to direct everything is not that it alienates you from people who genuinely want to help, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-van-booy/the-most-frustrating-part-of-trying-to-direct-everything-is-not-that/) [Simon Van Booy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-van-booy/) > [I have way too many commitments. I get pulled in too many directions and I never seem to be able to satisfy anybody. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/i-have-way-too-many-commitments-i-get-pulled-in-too-many-directions/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [I really think what's happening to the American political system is that it has been reduced to a system of self-perpetuation for the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-really-think-what-s-happening-to-the-american-political-system-is/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I just didn't understand the American political system, and I felt really stupid about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/i-just-didn-t-understand-the-american-political-system-and-i-felt/) [Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/) > [We've become, now, an oligarchy instead of a democracy. I think that's been the worst damage to the basic moral and ethical standards to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/we-ve-become-now-an-oligarchy-instead-of-a-democracy-i-think-that-s/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [The American political system is a giant bureaucracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-american-political-system-is-a-giant-bureaucracy/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The American political system is not good at trading sacrifice now to prevent crises later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/the-american-political-system-is-not-good-at-trading-sacrifice-now-to/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [Calling Trump 'Putin's puppet' is a sign of the weakness of the American political system. It appears so weak and fragile that outsiders can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/calling-trump-putin-s-puppet-is-a-sign-of-the-weakness-of-the/) [Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/) > [It would seem that the Watergate story from beginning to end could be used as a primer on the American political system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/it-would-seem-that-the-watergate-story-from-beginning-to-end-could-be/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [I don't think we can depend on Congress. In the American political system - we have been brought up to believe that the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/i-don-t-think-we-can-depend-on-congress-in-the-american-political/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [With all its faults, the American political system is the freest and most democratic in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eldridge-cleaver/with-all-its-faults-the-american-political-system-is-the-freest-and/) [Eldridge Cleaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eldridge-cleaver/) > [In the American political system, you're only allowed to have real ideas if it's absolutely guaranteed that you can't win an election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-the-american-political-system-you-re-only-allowed-to-have-real/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [“by the fact of his own election, that audacity does not appear to challenge the system of power which has brought the nation an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-s-wolin/by-the-fact-of-his-own-election-that-audacity-does-not-appear-to/) Sheldon S. Wolin > [The American political system is based on the president taking the initiative and Congress responding. With President Trump, it's been the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/the-american-political-system-is-based-on-the-president-taking-the/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [The American political system is like fast food - mushy, insipid, made out of disgusting parts of things and everybody wants some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-american-political-system-is-like-fast-food-mushy-insipid-made/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## More by Michael Mandelbaum > [Certainly, protecting oppressed people, stopping ethnic conflict and promoting responsible governance are worthy goals. But none is as important for American security and prosperity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/certainly-protecting-oppressed-people-stopping-ethnic-conflict-and/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [In truth, every American administration since that of Franklin D. Roosevelt has maintained close ties with the Saudi rulers, and for a single, simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/in-truth-every-american-administration-since-that-of-franklin-d/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [All policy is a matter of gains and losses, upsides and downsides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/all-policy-is-a-matter-of-gains-and-losses-upsides-and-downsides/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [In the past when a country became as powerful as the United States, other countries would band together to clip its wings. But that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/in-the-past-when-a-country-became-as-powerful-as-the-united-states/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [In my experience, it's not just that serious books get a hearing on comedy shows. But serious books get a serious hearing, as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/in-my-experience-it-s-not-just-that-serious-books-get-a-hearing-on/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [After all, the past is our only real guide to the future, and historical analogies are instruments for distilling and organizing the past and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/after-all-the-past-is-our-only-real-guide-to-the-future-and/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [Read the news section of the newspaper and there is confusion and uncertainty, a world buffeted by large forces people neither understand nor control.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/read-the-news-section-of-the-newspaper-and-there-is-confusion-and/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The United States doesn't do what it does in the world for altruistic reasons. Nobody set out to be the world's government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-united-states-doesn-t-do-what-it-does-in-the-world-for-altruistic/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The United States plays, for the most part, a constructive global role, and to the extent that that role shrinks, other countries, even those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-united-states-plays-for-the-most-part-a-constructive-global-role/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [American foreign policy, for all its shortcomings, has underpinned political stability around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/american-foreign-policy-for-all-its-shortcomings-has-underpinned/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [In the past, a blow to the international system's strongest power would have been welcomed by its rivals. In the wake of September 11,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/in-the-past-a-blow-to-the-international-system-s-strongest-power/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The attacks of September 11, 2001, were spectacular, riveting, grim, costly and searing. The shock that they caused reverberated throughout the world. What happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-attacks-of-september-11-2001-were-spectacular-riveting-grim/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [To call the American role in the world imperial was, for many who did so, a way of asserting that the United States was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/to-call-the-american-role-in-the-world-imperial-was-for-many-who-did/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The United States will continue to be number one, and I do not see any country or group of countries taking the United States'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-united-states-will-continue-to-be-number-one-and-i-do-not-see-any/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The government can give citizens opportunity and it's their responsibility to take advantage of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-government-can-give-citizens-opportunity-and-it-s-their/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) [Explore all 43 Michael Mandelbaum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The American political system is so porous, it's so open, it's so frustrating for those who are trying to make policy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Mandelbaum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-american-political-system-is-so-porous-it-s-so-open-it-s-so/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-american-political-system-is-so-porous-it-s-so-open-it-s-so/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/michael-mandelbaum-15229_american_the-american-political-system-is-so-poro_457009.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/michael-mandelbaum-15229_american_the-american-political-system-is-so-poro_457009.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/381/michael-mandelbaum-15229_american_the-american-political-system-is-so-poro_457009.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The American political system is so porous, it's so open, it's so frustrating for those who are trying to…” — Michael Mandelbaum", "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": "Michael Mandelbaum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The American political system is so...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-american-political-system-is-so-porous-it-s-so-open-it-s-so/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-american-political-system-is-so-porous-it-s-so-open-it-s-so/#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 } } ] } ```