--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our elected officials must understand…" description: "\"Our elected officials must understand that we, the American people, expect them to perform the duties of their office, even when that means working wit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/reid-hoffman-1342_american_our-elected-officials-must-understand-th_2451461.png" --- # Our elected officials must understand that we, the… ![“Our elected officials must understand that we, the American people, expect them to perform the duties of their office, even when that means working with other elected officials from different parties.” quote by Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/reid-hoffman-1342_american_our-elected-officials-must-understand-th_2451461.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/reid-hoffman-1342_american_our-elected-officials-must-understand-th_2451461.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/reid-hoffman-1342_american_our-elected-officials-must-understand-th_2451461.png) > “Our elected officials must understand that we, the American people, expect them to perform the duties of their office, even when that means working with other elected officials from different parties.” [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker stresses that elected officials must fulfill duties responsibly, even across party lines, reflecting democratic expectations. **In simple terms:** Officials must work responsibly, even with opponents. Key Takeaway Demand accountability and bipartisanship. Themes politics responsibility bipartisanship Mood serious motivational Type policy call to action When to use this quote - legislative sessions - policy negotiations - public hearings - campaign promises Key Concepts civic duty public trust Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens encourage cross‑party collaboration? - What mechanisms ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Partisan gridlock can hinder cooperation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Elected officials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elected-officials/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Must](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/must/) [Officials Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officials-different-573740/) [Officials Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officials-understand-573739/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perform Duties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perform-duties-573741/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) [Working Elected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-elected-573738/) ## Related quotes > [The State is a collection of officials, different for difference purposes, drawing comfortable incomes so long as the status quo is preserved. The only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-state-is-a-collection-of-officials-different-for-difference/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [In the coming days, I know there will be some reflecting on my time as mayor. Many of you will search to find what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-daley/in-the-coming-days-i-know-there-will-be-some-reflecting-on-my-time-as/) [Richard M. Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-daley/) > [What you need to do is to perform well, do your duties but never ever expect anything in return nothing more nothing less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-you-need-to-do-is-to-perform-well-do-your-duties-but-never-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I feel incompetent to perform duties...which have been so unexpectedly thrown upon me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-johnson/i-feel-incompetent-to-perform-duties-which-have-been-so-unexpectedly/) [Andrew Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-johnson/) > [First and foremost, the onus is on yourself to perform your own duties. If you can't, then it's your family or community's job to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshihide-suga/first-and-foremost-the-onus-is-on-yourself-to-perform-your-own-duties/) [Yoshihide Suga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoshihide-suga/) > [“One should beget a child who can perform the duties of Viṣṇu, otherwise there is no need to produce children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-should-beget-a-child-who-can-perform-the-duties-of-visnu/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let your first business be to perform your duties at home. But, inasmuch as you are wise stewards, you will find time for social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-r-snow/let-your-first-business-be-to-perform-your-duties-at-home-but/) [Eliza R. Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-r-snow/) > [You have a right to be treated professionally at work, and it's your supervisor's job to make sure all their employees can perform their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/you-have-a-right-to-be-treated-professionally-at-work-and-it-s-your/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [“The American people, and the citizens of all Western nations, have the right to know about every single thing their representatives do on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morcan/the-american-people-and-the-citizens-of-all-western-nations-have-the/) [James Morcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morcan/) > [The American people, in their own families, they understand that you have to do that. You have to make the tough decisions. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/the-american-people-in-their-own-families-they-understand-that-you/) [Cathy McMorris Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/) > [The American people deserve to know what's on Trump's tax returns. And Trump must show that he truly embraces accountability and transparency and understands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/the-american-people-deserve-to-know-what-s-on-trump-s-tax-returns-and/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Every person of any rank in the left, from voter on up to cabinet member to elected official in the Democrat Party, has contempt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/every-person-of-any-rank-in-the-left-from-voter-on-up-to-cabinet/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Realizing that they can't get their agenda across: against religious liberty, against a culture of life, they can't get those issues across through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-parsley/realizing-that-they-can-t-get-their-agenda-across-against-religious/) [Rod Parsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-parsley/) > [It is ironic since whenever I have met with our elected officials they are invariably thoughtful, well-meaning people. And yet collectively 90% of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-brin/it-is-ironic-since-whenever-i-have-met-with-our-elected-officials/) [Sergey Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergey-brin/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) ## More by Reid Hoffman > [As an entrepreneur and investor, I prioritize construction and collaboration. Whether it's a five-person start-up or a global giant, the companies that are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/as-an-entrepreneur-and-investor-i-prioritize-construction-and/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [In software speed to market, speed to learning is really key. In hardware if you screw it up you are dead. So accuracy really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/in-software-speed-to-market-speed-to-learning-is-really-key-in/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [“Stockpiling facts won’t get you anywhere. What will get you somewhere is being able to access the information you need, when you need it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/stockpiling-facts-won-t-get-you-anywhere-what-will-get-you-somewhere/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [I think the randomness by Donald Trump's governing, by tweeting, sloganeering, attacking, will create great chaos in the entire market. I think people will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/i-think-the-randomness-by-donald-trump-s-governing-by-tweeting/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Democracy is always frustrating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/democracy-is-always-frustrating/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [One of the ways they run forward is by viewing the thing they’re doing as something that’s going to be the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/one-of-the-ways-they-run-forward-is-by-viewing-the-thing-they-re/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [If you could train an AI to be a Buddhist, it would probably be pretty good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/if-you-could-train-an-ai-to-be-a-buddhist-it-would-probably-be-pretty/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [It’s actually pretty easy to be contrarian. It’s hard to be contrarian and right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/it-s-actually-pretty-easy-to-be-contrarian-it-s-hard-to-be-contrarian/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Giving birth to something that could possibly change the lives of millions of people for possibly decades, hundreds of years, whatever the length of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/giving-birth-to-something-that-could-possibly-change-the-lives-of/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [The entrepreneurial journey starts with jumping off a cliff and assembling an airplane on the way down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/the-entrepreneurial-journey-starts-with-jumping-off-a-cliff-and/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Be persistent, and hang on to your vision. And at the same time, be flexible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/be-persistent-and-hang-on-to-your-vision-and-at-the-same-time-be/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [First mover Advantage doesn't go to the company that starts up, it goes to the company that scales up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/first-mover-advantage-doesn-t-go-to-the-company-that-starts-up-it/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Before dreaming about the future or marking plans, you need to articulate what you already have going for you - as entrepreneurs do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/before-dreaming-about-the-future-or-marking-plans-you-need-to/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [The metaphor that I frequently use for entrepreneurship is jumping off a cliff and assembling an airplane plane on the way down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/the-metaphor-that-i-frequently-use-for-entrepreneurship-is-jumping/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [ I think most of \[people\] are not very well educated themselves to understand the Winston Churchill line - democracy is the worst of all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/i-think-most-of-people-are-not-very-well-educated-themselves-to/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) [Explore all 253 Reid Hoffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) ## 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. 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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 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our elected officials must understand that we, the American people, expect them to perform the duties of their office, even when that means working with other elected officials from different parties.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Reid Hoffman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/our-elected-officials-must-understand-that-we-the-american-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/our-elected-officials-must-understand-that-we-the-american-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/reid-hoffman-1342_american_our-elected-officials-must-understand-th_2451461.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/reid-hoffman-1342_american_our-elected-officials-must-understand-th_2451461.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68e/reid-hoffman-1342_american_our-elected-officials-must-understand-th_2451461.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our elected officials must understand that we, the American people, expect them to perform the duties of…” — Reid Hoffman", "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": "Reid Hoffman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our elected officials must understand that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/our-elected-officials-must-understand-that-we-the-american-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/our-elected-officials-must-understand-that-we-the-american-people/#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 } } ] } ```