--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Politics determines who has the power…" description: "\"Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth.\" — Paul Krugman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/paul-krugman-2255_determine_politics-determines-who-has-the-power-no_77049.png" --- # Politics determines who has the power, not who has the… ![“Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth.” quote by Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/paul-krugman-2255_determine_politics-determines-who-has-the-power-no_77049.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/paul-krugman-2255_determine_politics-determines-who-has-the-power-no_77049.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/paul-krugman-2255_determine_politics-determines-who-has-the-power-no_77049.png) > “Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth.” [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power structures shape political outcomes more than objective facts, highlighting the dominance of authority over truth. **In simple terms:** Power trumps truth in politics. Key Takeaway Authority can override factual accuracy. Themes politics power truth authority societal dynamics Mood critical cautious analytical Type observation analysis caution When to use this quote - legislative decision‑making - media framing - public policy debates - election campaigns Key Concepts political influence epistemic authority social hierarchy Practical Applications - policy analysis - critical media literacy Questions to Reflect On - How does power influence public perception of truth? - What mechanisms can safeguard truth in political discourse? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“It doesn't matter if you have a lot or a little money. It's what you do with it that determines its power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-samuel-timm/it-doesn-t-matter-if-you-have-a-lot-or-a-little-money-it-s-what-you/) [Eric Samuel Timm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-samuel-timm/) > [It will be politics that determines the material welfare of future generations: the pace at which we advance toward "our destination of economic bliss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eban-goodstein/it-will-be-politics-that-determines-the-material-welfare-of-future/) [Eban Goodstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eban-goodstein/) > [Because there is liberating power in each and every truth, the one who walks in the truth in all his ways will be set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-oscar-smith/because-there-is-liberating-power-in-each-and-every-truth-the-one-who/) [Johan Oscar Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-oscar-smith/) > [We always worry about our Looks, Status and Power.. But, the truth is that they neither matter to those who Love us, Nor to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/we-always-worry-about-our-looks-status-and-power-but-the-truth-is/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [As long as we can keep our international relations in the realm of conference rather than open conflict, we are giving truth more time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-washington-sockman/as-long-as-we-can-keep-our-international-relations-in-the-realm-of/) [Ralph Washington Sockman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-washington-sockman/) > [ “the Creator, Him who is truly God, who also furnishes power to find \[the truth\];” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-fathers/the-creator-him-who-is-truly-god-who-also-furnishes-power-to-find-the/) The Church Fathers > [“He gets power from his line, his master,” I said, “it isn’t always about personal power.” “Truth and Wicked have no masters, do you?”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/he-gets-power-from-his-line-his-master-i-said-it-isn-t-always-about/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“A person who wields power cannot see truth; that is the privilege of the powerless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesslie-newbigin/a-person-who-wields-power-cannot-see-truth-that-is-the-privilege-of/) [Lesslie Newbigin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesslie-newbigin/) > [It's not a matter of emancipating truth from every system of power (which would be a chimera, for truth is already power) but of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/it-s-not-a-matter-of-emancipating-truth-from-every-system-of-power/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [The most critical threat to our freedom is a failure to appreciate the power of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-novak/the-most-critical-threat-to-our-freedom-is-a-failure-to-appreciate/) [Michael Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-novak/) > [Truths ... are too often considered as so true, that they lose all the power of truth, and lie bed-ridden in the dormitory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/truths-are-too-often-considered-as-so-true-that-they-lose-all-the/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [“The same subversion of power by truth is evident in the way in which Luke begins his account of Jesus of Nazareth. Luke is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-same-subversion-of-power-by-truth-is-evident-in-the-way-in-which/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [We must not lose our trust in the power of truth. Everything is always changing in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/we-must-not-lose-our-trust-in-the-power-of-truth-everything-is-always/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The truth does not require a majority to prevail, ladies and gentlemen. The truth is its own power. The truth will out. Never forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-truth-does-not-require-a-majority-to-prevail-ladies-and-gentlemen/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“as collective institutions, science and religion prefer order and power over truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/as-collective-institutions-science-and-religion-prefer-order-and/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## More by Paul Krugman > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [Surely I'm not the only person to ask the obvious question: How different, really, is Mr. Madoff's tale from the story of the investment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/surely-i-m-not-the-only-person-to-ask-the-obvious-question-how/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [“The rich are different from you and me: they have more influence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-rich-are-different-from-you-and-me-they-have-more-influence/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [“The Internet’s impact on the economy has been no greater than the fax machine’s….ten years from now, the phrase “information economy” will sound silly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-internet-s-impact-on-the-economy-has-been-no-greater-than-the-fax/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [Not all private equity people are evil. 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If a famous professor repeatedly says stupid things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/academic-credentials-are-neither-a-necessary-nor-a-sufficient/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [It’s not about the budget; it’s about the power...So will the attack on unions succeed? I don’t know. 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