--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For over a century, popular struggles in…" description: "\"For over a century, popular struggles in the democracies have used the nation-state to temper raw capitalism. The power of voters has offset the power ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/robert-kuttner-24123_barriers_for-over-a-century-popular-struggles-in_2929736.png" --- # For over a century, popular struggles in the democracies… ![“For over a century, popular struggles in the democracies have used the nation-state to temper raw capitalism. The power of voters has offset the power of capital. But as national barriers have come down in the name of freer commerce, so has the capacity of governments to manage capitalism in a…” quote by Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/robert-kuttner-24123_barriers_for-over-a-century-popular-struggles-in_2929736.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/robert-kuttner-24123_barriers_for-over-a-century-popular-struggles-in_2929736.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95a/robert-kuttner-24123_barriers_for-over-a-century-popular-struggles-in_2929736.png) > “For over a century, popular struggles in the democracies have used the nation-state to temper raw capitalism. The power of voters has offset the power of capital. But as national barriers have come down in the name of freer commerce, so has the capacity of governments to manage capitalism in a broad public interest. So the real issue is not "trade" but democratic governance.” [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. National governance historically balanced capitalism, but global trade erodes state power, making democratic control of markets the core issue, not trade itself. **In simple terms:** Democratic governance, not trade, is the key challenge. Key Takeaway Strengthen democratic oversight of economies. Themes politics economics globalization Mood analytical concerned Type policy economic When to use this quote - government - international trade - regulation Key Concepts democracy capitalism public policy Questions to Reflect On - How can democracy adapt to global commerce? - What mechanisms protect public interest? A Different Perspective May underestimate market forces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Commerce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commerce/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Governance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governance/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Libertarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarian/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Public interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-interest/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Temper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temper/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Voters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voters/) ## Related quotes > [There's no doubt that in the last two to three decades, American democracy has been hacked. 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No one pretends that democracy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/many-forms-of-government-have-been-tried-and-will-be-tried-in-this/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [A pure Democracy, by which I mean a Society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the Government in person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/a-pure-democracy-by-which-i-mean-a-society-consisting-of-a-small/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-fraser-tytler/a-democracy-cannot-exist-as-a-permanent-form-of-government-it-can/) [Alexander Fraser Tytler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-fraser-tytler/) > [It is a law of governance that democracies have to spend themselves dizzy. 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My own conviction is this, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lloyd-george/no-democracy-has-ever-long-survived-the-failure-of-its-adherents-to/) [David Lloyd George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lloyd-george/) > [The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/the-strain-of-anti-intellectualism-has-been-a-constant-thread-winding/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [The spirit of democracy cannot be established in the midst of terrorism, whether governmental or popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-spirit-of-democracy-cannot-be-established-in-the-midst-of/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) ## More by Robert Kuttner > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [Technological advance often thrives in sheltered and subsidized markets, which defy free trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/technological-advance-often-thrives-in-sheltered-and-subsidized/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [As a scholarly discipline, economics has always suffered from physics envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/as-a-scholarly-discipline-economics-has-always-suffered-from-physics/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [What do you call an economist with a prediction? 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It would be far better to acknowledge that reality, and seek a set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/we-are-already-well-down-the-road-toward-a-managed-trade-regime-it/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [George Stigler Nobel laureate and a leader of Chicago School was asked why there were no Nobel Prizes awarded in the other social sciences,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/george-stigler-nobel-laureate-and-a-leader-of-chicago-school-was/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [If Boeing got a big head start on the 707 from multibillion-dollar military contracts to develop an air force transport, is that a sin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/if-boeing-got-a-big-head-start-on-the-707-from-multibillion-dollar/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [Both rich and poor nations have a common stake in policies that put the globe on a sustainable development path. 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