---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best measure of how a democracy is…"
description: "\"The best measure of how a democracy is functioning is how it allocates the goods of the land, the public trust assets.\" — Robert F. Kennedy, Jr"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/robert-f-kennedy-jr-12408_assets_the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-f_1741753.png"
---

#  The best measure of how a democracy is functioning is how…

![“The best measure of how a democracy is functioning is how it allocates the goods of the land, the public trust assets.” quote by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/robert-f-kennedy-jr-12408_assets_the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-f_1741753.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/robert-f-kennedy-jr-12408_assets_the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-f_1741753.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/robert-f-kennedy-jr-12408_assets_the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-f_1741753.png)

> “The best measure of how a democracy is functioning is how it allocates the goods of the land, the public trust assets.”

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

## About This Quote

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

A democracy’s health is judged by how fairly it distributes public resources and trust.

**In simple terms:** Fair allocation of public assets shows democratic function.

Key Takeaway

Assess fairness of public resource distribution.

Themes

democracy fairness public trust resource allocation

Mood

analytical critical

Type

philosophical policy-oriented

When to use this quote

- policy analysis
- public budgeting
- community meetings
- government audits

Key Concepts

political theory social equity

Questions to Reflect On

- How can citizens evaluate fairness in resource distribution?
- What mechanisms ensure transparent allocation?

A Different Perspective

Complexities of defining “goods” and measuring allocation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Public trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-trust/)

## Related quotes

> [You can’t have meaningful political democracy without functioning economic democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-can-t-have-meaningful-political-democracy-without-functioning/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [The highest measure of democracy is neither the 'extent of freedom' nor the 'extent of equality', but rather the highest measure of participation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-benoist/the-highest-measure-of-democracy-is-neither-the-extent-of-freedom-nor/)

[Alain de Benoist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-benoist/)

> [You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/you-measure-a-democracy-by-the-freedom-it-gives-its-dissidents-not/)

[Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/)

> [In a democracy, in a functioning democracy, what would be happening is that popular organizations, unions, political groupings, others would be developing their programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/in-a-democracy-in-a-functioning-democracy-what-would-be-happening-is/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [ The meter is ticking \[particularly in the face of climate change\], so you've got to get to as much as you can as fast… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/the-meter-is-ticking-particularly-in-the-face-of-climate-change-so/)

[Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/)

> [What the local politicians actually meant was that they hoped to claim the land in the name of the public and then make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moorcock/what-the-local-politicians-actually-meant-was-that-they-hoped-to/)

[Michael Moorcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moorcock/)

> [First thing the developer has to do is to get an assessment of the threatened species, of the ecological values of that site. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sartor/first-thing-the-developer-has-to-do-is-to-get-an-assessment-of-the/)

Frank Sartor

> [The press has bravely and nobly eroded the public trust... What I'm advocating is the media come work for us again. Remove themselves from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-press-has-bravely-and-nobly-eroded-the-public-trust-what-i-m/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [They still have negligent auditing, they still have things going for a walk, and they have no idea where they're coming from and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/they-still-have-negligent-auditing-they-still-have-things-going-for-a/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [I'm a big fan of public trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-m-a-big-fan-of-public-trust/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [A newspaper is a public trust, and we will suffer as a society without them. It is not the Internet that has killed them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/a-newspaper-is-a-public-trust-and-we-will-suffer-as-a-society-without/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [If there is evidence that an employee has broken the law, caused harm to veterans, or have violated the public trust, they should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shulkin/if-there-is-evidence-that-an-employee-has-broken-the-law-caused-harm/)

[David Shulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shulkin/)

> [Too many companies want their brands to reflect some idealised, perfected image of themselves. As a consequence, their brands acquire no texture, no character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/too-many-companies-want-their-brands-to-reflect-some-idealised/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [The real cost of corruption in government, whether it is local, state, or federal, is a loss of the public trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-quigley/the-real-cost-of-corruption-in-government-whether-it-is-local-state/)

[Mike Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-quigley/)

> [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-cox/a-free-society-depends-upon-a-high-degree-of-mutual-trust-the-public/)

[Archibald Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-cox/)

## More by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr

> [While communism is the control of business by government, fascism is the control of government by business,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/while-communism-is-the-control-of-business-by-government-fascism-is/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [The journalists in America are no longer covering critical stories. Investigative journalism is gone. Foreign-news coverage is gone. The press is owned by five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-journalists-in-america-are-no-longer-covering-critical-stories/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [The next time you see John Stossel or Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, these flat-Earthers, these corporate toadies, lying to you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-next-time-you-see-john-stossel-or-glenn-beck-or-rush-limbaugh-or/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [Corporate polluters, their phony think tanks and political toadies like to marginalize environmentalists as tree huggers, or radicals. But there is nothing radical about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/corporate-polluters-their-phony-think-tanks-and-political-toadies/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [Some corporations don't want free markets, and they don't want democracy. They want profits. And they use our campaign finance system to loot our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/some-corporations-don-t-want-free-markets-and-they-don-t-want/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [Investigative journalism has been relegated to a very, very tiny space in America. We don't really have much investigative journalism left. And the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/investigative-journalism-has-been-relegated-to-a-very-very-tiny-space/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [One out of every six American women has so much mercury in her womb that her children are at risk for a grim inventory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/one-out-of-every-six-american-women-has-so-much-mercury-in-her-womb/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [We protect nature not for nature's sake but for our own sake because it's the infrastructure of our communities...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/we-protect-nature-not-for-nature-s-sake-but-for-our-own-sake-because/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [GE is the biggest polluter of the Hudson.. years ago they killed all the fish dumping millions of lbs. of pcb's into our waterways.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/ge-is-the-biggest-polluter-of-the-hudson-years-ago-they-killed-all/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [Those guys are doing the Koch Brothers bidding and are against all the evidence of the rational mind, saying global warming does not exit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/those-guys-are-doing-the-koch-brothers-bidding-and-are-against-all/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [The way you get democracy to function is by informing the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-way-you-get-democracy-to-function-is-by-informing-the-public/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [You show me pollution and I will show you people who are not paying their own way, people who are stealing from the public,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/you-show-me-pollution-and-i-will-show-you-people-who-are-not-paying/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [Corporations are a good thing. But corporations should not be running our government... They have driven the American economy since its founding, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/corporations-are-a-good-thing-but-corporations-should-not-be-running/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [These are facts that would make every American upset. Our birthright is being stolen, the legacy of our country is at stake, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/these-are-facts-that-would-make-every-american-upset-our-birthright/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [Everyone knows that we're doing a science experiment with Earth. And the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 contributors to it are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/everyone-knows-that-we-re-doing-a-science-experiment-with-earth-and/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

[Explore all 55 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

## More Assets quotes

> [A great smile is a wonderful asset, but a good heart is pure gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/a-great-smile-is-a-wonderful-asset-but-a-good-heart-is-pure-gold/)

[Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/)

> [Most people put money in their piggy bank. I buy a goose that lays golden eggs over and over again. That's what an asset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/most-people-put-money-in-their-piggy-bank-i-buy-a-goose-that-lays/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [Groupon has some interesting assets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cohler/groupon-has-some-interesting-assets/)

[Matt Cohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cohler/)

> [Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you're just a middleman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/developing-expertise-or-assets-that-are-not-easily-copied-is/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [Well I think they broke the mould when they made me and being humble is one of my great assets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-hagman/well-i-think-they-broke-the-mould-when-they-made-me-and-being-humble/)

[Larry Hagman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-hagman/)

> [3 people get stranded on a remote Island A Banker, a Daily Mail reader &amp; an Asylum seeker All they have to eat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-brookmyre/3-people-get-stranded-on-a-remote-island-a-banker-a-daily-mail-reader/)

[Christopher Brookmyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-brookmyre/)

> [Why doesn't the United States take over the monarchy and unite with England? England does have important assets. Naturally the longer you wait, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/why-doesn-t-the-united-states-take-over-the-monarchy-and-unite-with/)

[W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/)

> [You have great assets if you're a dual-threat, but you still have to throw from the pocket and do all those types of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-mariota/you-have-great-assets-if-you-re-a-dual-threat-but-you-still-have-to/)

[Marcus Mariota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-mariota/)

> [Regulations for international accounting and funding will have to be examined to identify policies that inadvertently discourage institutional investors from putting their resources into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-angel-gurria/regulations-for-international-accounting-and-funding-will-have-to-be/)

[Jose Angel Gurria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-angel-gurria/)

> [I think Kwame will be an asset to the Lakers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-kwame-will-be-an-asset-to-the-lakers/)

[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/)

> [ \[When I die\], I will decidedly not be regretting missed opportunities for a good time. My regrets will be more along the lines of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/when-i-die-i-will-decidedly-not-be-regretting-missed-opportunities/)

[Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/)

> [Sourav's greatest asset is his ability to communicate. He is a naturally very confident person. He encourages his team, is a great motivator and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shastri/sourav-s-greatest-asset-is-his-ability-to-communicate-he-is-a/)

[Ravi Shastri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shastri/)

> [When you consider the sheer magnitude of investable equities to choose from in the world's emerging markets, you realize that finding one that looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mobius/when-you-consider-the-sheer-magnitude-of-investable-equities-to/)

[Mark Mobius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mobius/)

> [I was impressed for the ten thousandth time by the fact that literature illuminates life only for those to whom books are a necessity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-powell/i-was-impressed-for-the-ten-thousandth-time-by-the-fact-that/)

[Anthony Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-powell/)

> [If God was the owner, I was the manager. I needed to adopt a steward's mentality toward the assets He had entrusted - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/if-god-was-the-owner-i-was-the-manager-i-needed-to-adopt-a-steward-s/)

[Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/)

Browse all 957 Assets quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The best measure of how a democracy is functioning is how it allocates the goods of the land, the public trust assets.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert F. Kennedy, Jr"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-functioning-is-how-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Assets"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-functioning-is-how-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/robert-f-kennedy-jr-12408_assets_the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-f_1741753.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/robert-f-kennedy-jr-12408_assets_the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-f_1741753.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/307/robert-f-kennedy-jr-12408_assets_the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-f_1741753.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The best measure of how a democracy is functioning is how it allocates the goods of the land, the public…” — Robert F. Kennedy, Jr",
                "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": "Robert F. Kennedy, Jr",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The best measure of how a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-functioning-is-how-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-best-measure-of-how-a-democracy-is-functioning-is-how-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
