---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Explosion of positive rights started in…"
description: "\"Explosion of positive rights started in 1932 with the election of Roosevelt.\" — P. J. O'Rourke"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/p-j-o-rourke-184_election_explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in_2145376.png"
---

#  Explosion of positive rights started in 1932 with the…

![“Explosion of positive rights started in 1932 with the election of Roosevelt.” quote by P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/p-j-o-rourke-184_election_explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in_2145376.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/p-j-o-rourke-184_election_explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in_2145376.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/p-j-o-rourke-184_election_explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in_2145376.png)

> “Explosion of positive rights started in 1932 with the election of Roosevelt.”

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The expansion of civil liberties and social guarantees began with Roosevelt's New Deal era, marking a shift toward government responsibility for citizens' welfare.

**In simple terms:** Roosevelt's era began many new public rights.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how policy can reshape rights.

Themes

politics social policy rights history government

Mood

optimistic reflective

Type

historical political

When to use this quote

- voting
- public policy debates
- civil rights activism
- social welfare programs

Key Concepts

New Deal positive rights social contract

Questions to Reflect On

- How did Roosevelt's policies change everyday life?
- What rights are still contested today?

A Different Perspective

Rights expansions can be limited by political opposition and economic constraints.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[1932 Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1932-election-4486910/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Election Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election-roosevelt-4486907/) [Explosion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explosion/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) [Positive Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-rights-4486908/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roosevelt/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started 1932](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-1932-4486909/)

## Related quotes

> [Positive rights are the right to shelter, the right to education, the right to health care, the right to a living wage. These things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/positive-rights-are-the-right-to-shelter-the-right-to-education-the/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [“If you have children and love one more than another, work at it. They will know, even if it’s by a single atom less.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/if-you-have-children-and-love-one-more-than-another-work-at-it-they/)

[Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/)

> [As in an explosion, I would erupt with all the wonderful things I saw and understood in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-pasternak/as-in-an-explosion-i-would-erupt-with-all-the-wonderful-things-i-saw/)

[Boris Pasternak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-pasternak/)

> [“thundering, fulminating sound that penetrated my body as though it were coming from within me. I remember the sound. I remember the blinding flash.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izzeldin-abuelaish/thundering-fulminating-sound-that-penetrated-my-body-as-though-it/)

[Izzeldin Abuelaish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izzeldin-abuelaish/)

> [Wit is an explosion of the compound spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/wit-is-an-explosion-of-the-compound-spirit/)

[Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/)

> [“The mass starts into a million suns; Earths round each sun with quick explosions burst, And second planets issue from the first. \[The first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erasmus-darwin/the-mass-starts-into-a-million-suns-earths-round-each-sun-with-quick/)

[Erasmus Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erasmus-darwin/)

> [“IN THE NIGHT, I woke up wailing. The worst thing about the explosion was how I carried it in my body—the heat, the bone-jar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/in-the-night-i-woke-up-wailing-the-worst-thing-about-the-explosion/)

[Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/)

> [The explosion of companies deploying wireless networks insecurely is creating vulnerabilities, as they think it's limited to the office - then they have Johnny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-explosion-of-companies-deploying-wireless-networks-insecurely-is/)

[Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/)

> [“Just as I was beginning my drift into unconsciousness, there was an explosion. Not a movie explosion but a small real-life explosion, like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davidson/just-as-i-was-beginning-my-drift-into-unconsciousness-there-was-an/)

[Andrew Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davidson/)

> [We have experienced an utter explosion in investigative techniques. Walk the streets, look at the cameras! They are now recognising people automatically from photos;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/we-have-experienced-an-utter-explosion-in-investigative-techniques/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [With a lot of action scores, you're competing with a lot of noise. Say there's a big explosion: the music would conventionally have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-price/with-a-lot-of-action-scores-you-re-competing-with-a-lot-of-noise-say/)

[Steven Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-price/)

> [“But not nearly as much as the sudden explosion that sent wood, water, and pieces of the beast flying over the lot of them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/but-not-nearly-as-much-as-the-sudden-explosion-that-sent-wood-water/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [I felt cheated by the way grown-ups told me that the future of the world was bleak when I became a teenager in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ridley/i-felt-cheated-by-the-way-grown-ups-told-me-that-the-future-of-the/)

[Matt Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ridley/)

> [The explosion was good. It sent a message to the rest of the world that the time of the big star getting all this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumner-redstone/the-explosion-was-good-it-sent-a-message-to-the-rest-of-the-world/)

[Sumner Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumner-redstone/)

> [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/)

[Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/)

## More by P. J. O'Rourke

> [I'm fascinated by political enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-m-fascinated-by-political-enthusiasm/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [The Democrats said, "We don't know what's wrong with America, but we can fix it." The Republicans said, "There's nothing wrong with America, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-democrats-said-we-don-t-know-what-s-wrong-with-america-but-we-can/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [At Epcot Center the Disney corporation has focused its attention on two things greatly in need of Disneyfication: the tedious future and the annoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/at-epcot-center-the-disney-corporation-has-focused-its-attention-on/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [My whole family can talk. They are all car salesmen. They are all funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/my-whole-family-can-talk-they-are-all-car-salesmen-they-are-all-funny/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [It was Ronald Reagan who used to say that the 10 most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the federal government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-was-ronald-reagan-who-used-to-say-that-the-10-most-frightening/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [Gun violence has cost us too many political leaders, and hardly ever the worst ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/gun-violence-has-cost-us-too-many-political-leaders-and-hardly-ever/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [Journalists are notoriously easy to kid. All you have to do is speak to a journalist in a very serious tone of voice, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/journalists-are-notoriously-easy-to-kid-all-you-have-to-do-is-speak/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a 'learning experience.' Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-like-to-think-of-my-behavior-in-the-sixties-as-a-learning/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [I'll be 56 this year, I've got two kids, and I think it's probably time to go back to writing one-glove jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-ll-be-56-this-year-i-ve-got-two-kids-and-i-think-it-s-probably-time/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [Something that comes to us, some gym shoe that comes to us as a result of child labor from a brutal dictatorship, where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/something-that-comes-to-us-some-gym-shoe-that-comes-to-us-as-a-result/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [Now, do I think the baby boomers tend to be self-absorbed? I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/now-do-i-think-the-baby-boomers-tend-to-be-self-absorbed-i-do/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

[Explore all 983 P. J. O'Rourke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

## More Election quotes

> [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/)

[Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/)

> [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [There's more than 1700 emails out of the thirty three thousand Hillary Clinton emails that we've published, just about Libya. It's not that Libya…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/there-s-more-than-1700-emails-out-of-the-thirty-three-thousand/)

[Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/)

> [It's not clear in the U.S. at the moment, either. We're going through another election.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-kerrey/it-s-not-clear-in-the-u-s-at-the-moment-either-we-re-going-through/)

[Bob Kerrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-kerrey/)

> [I always lose the election in the polls, and I always win it on election day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/i-always-lose-the-election-in-the-polls-and-i-always-win-it-on/)

[Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/)

> [Elections are not a beauty contest. It is all about tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-franz/elections-are-not-a-beauty-contest-it-is-all-about-tolerance/)

[Vladimir Franz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-franz/)

> [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [The election of Trump threw the chess board up. The pieces are all over the place. That's upsetting to a lot of people, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rubin/the-election-of-trump-threw-the-chess-board-up-the-pieces-are-all/)

[Dave Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-rubin/)

> [If I had lost the popular vote but won the electoral college and in my first day as president the intelligence community came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-i-had-lost-the-popular-vote-but-won-the-electoral-college-and-in/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Let's be honest, if the Democrats didn't support ignoring our nation's immigration laws, there is no way they could win the presidency or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/let-s-be-honest-if-the-democrats-didn-t-support-ignoring-our-nation-s/)

[Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/)

> [I spent many years working for voting rights, but we still see sophisticated efforts, led by white officials, to disenfranchise black voters in local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-brooke/i-spent-many-years-working-for-voting-rights-but-we-still-see/)

[Edward Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-brooke/)

> [“The answer to the question raised in the title of this essay - Is salvation a matter of divine determination or human responsibility? -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layton-talbert/the-answer-to-the-question-raised-in-the-title-of-this-essay-is/)

[Layton Talbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layton-talbert/)

> [One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/one-of-the-reasons-people-hate-politics-is-that-truth-is-rarely-a/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

[Browse all 3,344 Election quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Explosion of positive rights started in 1932 with the election of Roosevelt.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "P. J. O'Rourke"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in-1932-with-the-election-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Election"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in-1932-with-the-election-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/p-j-o-rourke-184_election_explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in_2145376.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/p-j-o-rourke-184_election_explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in_2145376.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/p-j-o-rourke-184_election_explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in_2145376.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Explosion of positive rights started in 1932 with the election of Roosevelt.” — P. J. O'Rourke",
                "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": "P. J. O'Rourke",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Explosion of positive rights started in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in-1932-with-the-election-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/explosion-of-positive-rights-started-in-1932-with-the-election-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
