--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before Bush, I used to think that the…" description: "\"“Before Bush, I used to think that the choice of president really didn’t matter, that the system kind of ran on its own- that whatever they said during..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/ron-howard-7692_checks-and-balances_before-bush-i-used-to-think-that-the-cho_1448536.jpg" --- # Before Bush, I used to think that the choice of president… ![“Before Bush, I used to think that the choice of president really didn’t matter, that the system kind of ran on its own- that whatever they said during the campaign, the system of checks and balances was really bigger than any individual. But that is what has been so chilling about seeing some of…” quote by Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/ron-howard-7692_checks-and-balances_before-bush-i-used-to-think-that-the-cho_1448536.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/ron-howard-7692_checks-and-balances_before-bush-i-used-to-think-that-the-cho_1448536.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/ron-howard-7692_checks-and-balances_before-bush-i-used-to-think-that-the-cho_1448536.jpg) > ““Before Bush, I used to think that the choice of president really didn’t matter, that the system kind of ran on its own- that whatever they said during the campaign, the system of checks and balances was really bigger than any individual. But that is what has been so chilling about seeing some of the decisions that have been made unilaterally over the past eight years.”” [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) ## 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 reflects on how the belief that individual leaders are inconsequential is shattered by unilateral decisions. **In simple terms:** Realizing that single leaders can make impactful choices. Key Takeaway Stay informed and hold leaders accountable. Themes politics leadership agency Mood concerned thoughtful Type analytical political When to use this quote - elections - policy making - public discourse Key Concepts systems theory individual impact Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do citizens have? - How can checks balance be strengthened? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on individuals can ignore systemic factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Checks and balances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/checks-and-balances/) ## Related quotes > [Management manages by making decisions and by seeing that those decisions are implemented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/management-manages-by-making-decisions-and-by-seeing-that-those/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Such a system of checks and balances -- parenting -- of projections and guesswork and cost-benefit ratios.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gin-phillips/such-a-system-of-checks-and-balances-parenting-of-projections-and/) [Gin Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gin-phillips/) > [The BJP must nurture the institutions that put credible checks and balances in place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-banerjee/the-bjp-must-nurture-the-institutions-that-put-credible-checks-and/) [Abhijit Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-banerjee/) > [The bureaucratic nature of both capitalism and our government assures us that there are no checks and balances when it comes to justifying any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tripp-york/the-bureaucratic-nature-of-both-capitalism-and-our-government-assures/) [Tripp York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tripp-york/) > [Society has to be structured such that there are checks and balances, so that it can't be manipulated, for instance, for the profit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/society-has-to-be-structured-such-that-there-are-checks-and-balances/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [What is happening here is there are too many checks and balances that are happening. There are too many people involved who should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zayed-khan/what-is-happening-here-is-there-are-too-many-checks-and-balances-that/) [Zayed Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zayed-khan/) > [Going back all the way to the founding, there was a recognition that in the same way that you need the Constitution to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lina-khan/going-back-all-the-way-to-the-founding-there-was-a-recognition-that/) [Lina Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lina-khan/) > [Who needs checks and balances when the left, seemingly, knows and can decide right from wrong? 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Rajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghuram-g-rajan/) > [What we can do where we live is advocate again to bring back to life the 10th Amendment, to bring back to life those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-cuccinelli/what-we-can-do-where-we-live-is-advocate-again-to-bring-back-to-life/) [Ken Cuccinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-cuccinelli/) > [The Constitutional framework of checks and balances matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/the-constitutional-framework-of-checks-and-balances-matters/) [Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/) > [Our system of government works best when there are checks and balances led by independent entities that are empowered to conduct fair and rigorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-james/our-system-of-government-works-best-when-there-are-checks-and/) [Letitia James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-james/) > [Our culture is just a series of checks and balances. 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I think that when we as a species are scratching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/i-think-it-s-in-our-nature-to-try-to-get-beyond-that-next-horizon-i/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [The hardest thing which I've experienced is calling up my father, Rance Howard, who's a wonderful actor, and telling him I've had to cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/the-hardest-thing-which-i-ve-experienced-is-calling-up-my-father/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [Instead of candidates hiring people, like yours truly, to create campaign media that works on both conscious and subconscious levels to sway the voting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/instead-of-candidates-hiring-people-like-yours-truly-to-create/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [One of the great things about being a director as a life choice is that it can never be mastered. 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(Stryker) We all have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/you-ve-got-to-be-kidding-me-i-thought-you-were-the-most-powerful-of/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Suddenly, we humans - a recently arrived species, no longer subject to the checks and balances inherent in nature - have grown in population,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/suddenly-we-humans-a-recently-arrived-species-no-longer-subject-to/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [“The independence of the arms of government must be checked. 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