--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a philosophy that - 'We, the People'…" description: "\"It's a philosophy that - 'We, the People' - it's about us, that if the Americans want to do something, they have the power to try to put leaders in pla..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a72/rick-santelli-7538_americans_it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it_1435111.jpg" --- # It's a philosophy that - 'We, the People' - it's about us… ![“It's a philosophy that - 'We, the People' - it's about us, that if the Americans want to do something, they have the power to try to put leaders in place to carry out whatever their notions are.” quote by Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a72/rick-santelli-7538_americans_it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it_1435111.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a72/rick-santelli-7538_americans_it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it_1435111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a72/rick-santelli-7538_americans_it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it_1435111.jpg) > “It's a philosophy that - 'We, the People' - it's about us, that if the Americans want to do something, they have the power to try to put leaders in place to carry out whatever their notions are.” [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote emphasizes popular sovereignty: citizens can influence leadership and policy through collective will. **In simple terms:** People can choose their leaders. Key Takeaway Engage in civic participation. Themes democracy citizen power political agency Mood hopeful determined Type political motivational When to use this quote - elections - grassroots movements - public petitions - community organizing Key Concepts social contract collective action Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens effectively hold leaders accountable? - What barriers prevent collective action? A Different Perspective Power is limited by institutional constraints and apathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) Paul William Roberts > [We have to be concerned about the gun killing that people who are Americans, who are Irish, and who are English, who are all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalia-mogahed/we-have-to-be-concerned-about-the-gun-killing-that-people-who-are/) [Dalia Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalia-mogahed/) > [Don't you think that as a people, Americans have less poetry, real poetry, in their souls than any other nations?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-howard/don-t-you-think-that-as-a-people-americans-have-less-poetry-real/) [Robert E. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-howard/) > [If the Americans do not want to support us anymore, let them go, get out! Let them forget their humanitarian promises!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nguyen-van-thieu/if-the-americans-do-not-want-to-support-us-anymore-let-them-go-get/) [Nguyen Van Thieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nguyen-van-thieu/) > [Americans want someone who is accountable to them above self, above party, and above any special interest. They want a President that has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sestak/americans-want-someone-who-is-accountable-to-them-above-self-above/) [Joe Sestak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sestak/) > [“And now we realize what is expected—the Americans want to exchange. It is apparent that they have not long been in the war; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/and-now-we-realize-what-is-expected-the-americans-want-to-exchange-it/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/) [Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/) > [“Whatever happens I want you to think of yourselves as young Americans, and I want you to be proud of that. It is difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ryrie-brink/whatever-happens-i-want-you-to-think-of-yourselves-as-young-americans/) [Carol Ryrie Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ryrie-brink/) > [Certainly the Americans want to buy rights, but have no idea what to do with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/certainly-the-americans-want-to-buy-rights-but-have-no-idea-what-to/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [We've got to be able to have a conversation and recognize we're all Americans; we all want the best for this country. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-ve-got-to-be-able-to-have-a-conversation-and-recognize-we-re-all/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [When there are elections, people tend to vote for peace. They don't vote for war. So Americans want to promote those principles around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/when-there-are-elections-people-tend-to-vote-for-peace-they-don-t/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Everything depends on the Americans. If they want to make war for 20 years then we shall make war for 20 years. If they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ho-chi-minh/everything-depends-on-the-americans-if-they-want-to-make-war-for-20/) [Ho Chi Minh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ho-chi-minh/) > [I don't walk around talking about my life and spouting my philosophy to people I don't know. I mean, if I get to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-don-t-walk-around-talking-about-my-life-and-spouting-my-philosophy/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [My philosophy is that the people around us are there doing as much work if not more work behind the scenes and they're the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/my-philosophy-is-that-the-people-around-us-are-there-doing-as-much/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [“But you are good-natured princes, and you do not think it a bad thing that belief in the good God should constitute the philosophy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/but-you-are-good-natured-princes-and-you-do-not-think-it-a-bad-thing/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More by Rick Santelli > [We are a republic, very inefficient. If you want a really efficient form of government, you have a king or a dictator. And in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/we-are-a-republic-very-inefficient-if-you-want-a-really-efficient/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [I personally think money in politics on any level is horrible. I'd like to see a set amount and have every candidate spend it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/i-personally-think-money-in-politics-on-any-level-is-horrible-i-d/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [Believe me. When you're talking about trust in government, you're preaching to the choir, whether it's on the financial side, the central banking side:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/believe-me-when-you-re-talking-about-trust-in-government-you-re/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [The last place I'm ever going to live or work is D.C.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/the-last-place-i-m-ever-going-to-live-or-work-is-d-c/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [I come from immigrant grandparents. The country would not be what it is if it wasn't for the immigrants in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/i-come-from-immigrant-grandparents-the-country-would-not-be-what-it/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [The markets are the world's greatest Rubik's cube. And I love solving puzzles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/the-markets-are-the-world-s-greatest-rubik-s-cube-and-i-love-solving/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [I've talked about commodity price volatility in the past: go back to the tape... I never said it was about inflation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/i-ve-talked-about-commodity-price-volatility-in-the-past-go-back-to/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [There's hearings on everything. They're kabuki theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/there-s-hearings-on-everything-they-re-kabuki-theater/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [In normal times, investors should pay more attention to the credit markets because it's the energy by which everything is driven. It's the oil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/in-normal-times-investors-should-pay-more-attention-to-the-credit/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [There's so much compromise in politics. I'm not a good compromiser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/there-s-so-much-compromise-in-politics-i-m-not-a-good-compromiser/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [We now have the technology to pretty much hear everything. Can you imagine how our holiday dinners would be if every relative's entire conversations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/we-now-have-the-technology-to-pretty-much-hear-everything-can-you/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [Around 1999, CNBC offered me a full-time post, and I'm the happiest I've ever been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/around-1999-cnbc-offered-me-a-full-time-post-and-i-m-the-happiest-i/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [Many other states ultimately - they might not have the same balance sheet as Wisconsin - but collective bargaining from the federal level... these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/many-other-states-ultimately-they-might-not-have-the-same-balance/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [No, traditions and norms aren't rules in the Constitution. There's a difference between a tradition and a law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/no-traditions-and-norms-aren-t-rules-in-the-constitution-there-s-a/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) > [I think we should all be proud that we are living in a country where we can question those we put in power because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/i-think-we-should-all-be-proud-that-we-are-living-in-a-country-where/) [Rick Santelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) [Explore all 90 Rick Santelli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) Paul William Roberts > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We Americans tend to be a prodigal lot. We are as careless with our personal resources as we are with the resources of nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/we-americans-tend-to-be-a-prodigal-lot-we-are-as-careless-with-our/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/americans-will-put-up-with-anything-provided-it-doesn-t-block-traffic/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/) [Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/) > [“Using a wide variety of media, we could demonstrate for our fellow Americans their anxieties, desires, insufficiencies, and frustrations--and how to assuage them all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/using-a-wide-variety-of-media-we-could-demonstrate-for-our-fellow/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [The Americans say that we are ungrateful-but I ask them for heaven's sake, what should we be grateful to them for-for murdering our fathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walker/the-americans-say-that-we-are-ungrateful-but-i-ask-them-for-heaven-s/) [David Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walker/) > [So many Korean Americans like me came to this country with the hope of achieving their own American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/so-many-korean-americans-like-me-came-to-this-country-with-the-hope/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [You are Americans. You love this country. Together we are entrusted with the principles that represent mankind's greatest political and social achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/you-are-americans-you-love-this-country-together-we-are-entrusted/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) [Browse all 1,536 Americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a philosophy that - 'We, the People' - it's about us, that if the Americans want to do something, they have the power to try to put leaders in place to carry out whatever their notions are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rick Santelli" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it-s-about-us-that-if-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Americans" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it-s-about-us-that-if-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a72/rick-santelli-7538_americans_it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it_1435111.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a72/rick-santelli-7538_americans_it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it_1435111.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a72/rick-santelli-7538_americans_it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it_1435111.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's a philosophy that - 'We, the People' - it's about us, that if the Americans want to do something, they…” — Rick Santelli", "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": "Rick Santelli", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santelli/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's a philosophy that - 'We,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it-s-about-us-that-if-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santelli/it-s-a-philosophy-that-we-the-people-it-s-about-us-that-if-the/#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 } } ] } ```