--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You ought to teach kids that elections…" description: "\"You ought to teach kids that elections take place but that's not politics. If you want to know how legislation is made it doesn't come from elections.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/noam-chomsky-42_democracy_you-ought-to-teach-kids-that-elections-t_776999.jpg" --- # You ought to teach kids that elections take place but… ![“You ought to teach kids that elections take place but that's not politics. If you want to know how legislation is made it doesn't come from elections.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/noam-chomsky-42_democracy_you-ought-to-teach-kids-that-elections-t_776999.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/noam-chomsky-42_democracy_you-ought-to-teach-kids-that-elections-t_776999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/noam-chomsky-42_democracy_you-ought-to-teach-kids-that-elections-t_776999.jpg) > “You ought to teach kids that elections take place but that's not politics. If you want to know how legislation is made it doesn't come from elections.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education should separate civic participation from partisan politics; understanding lawmaking requires more than voting. **In simple terms:** Teach kids about elections, not politics; lawmaking is broader. Key Takeaway Focus civic education on processes, not parties. Themes civic education politics lawmaking Mood informative critical Type educational analytical When to use this quote - classroom teaching - citizen workshops - policy discussions Key Concepts democratic theory political literacy Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of lawmaking are most overlooked? - How can we teach politics without bias? A Different Perspective Complex political systems can’t be fully captured in brief lessons. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Elections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elections/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Legislation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislation/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [Dictators don't come from elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/dictators-don-t-come-from-elections/) [Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/) > [I certainly believe in a type of Rooney Rule - in legislation that doesn't give black and ethnic individuals a job but, at least,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hughton/i-certainly-believe-in-a-type-of-rooney-rule-in-legislation-that/) [Chris Hughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hughton/) > [Most politicians come into politics because they want to make a difference; we just have different ideas how to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/most-politicians-come-into-politics-because-they-want-to-make-a/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [If you want to get things done in life, you don't go into politics. 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I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luca-cordero-di-montezemolo/i-am-a-person-that-when-i-go-in-the-street-everybody-knows-me-and/) [Luca Cordero di Montezemolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luca-cordero-di-montezemolo/) > [I believe people who go into politics want to do the right thing. And then they hit a big wall of re-election and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-believe-people-who-go-into-politics-want-to-do-the-right-thing-and/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [In politics, if you want anything said ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/in-politics-if-you-want-anything-said-ask-a-man-if-you-want-anything/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [We want to change politics. 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On one hand we want them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-willimon/this-is-the-way-i-think-about-politics-we-want-two-diametrically/) [Beau Willimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-willimon/) > [People go into politics because they want the affirmation, and they want the applause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cuomo/people-go-into-politics-because-they-want-the-affirmation-and-they/) [Andrew Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cuomo/) > [When an actor ventures into politics, I want to know, what is his manifesto, how would he understand problems being faced by people like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prakash-raj/when-an-actor-ventures-into-politics-i-want-to-know-what-is-his/) [Prakash Raj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prakash-raj/) ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. 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It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. 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