--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ronald Reagan, and before him, Richard…" description: "\"Ronald Reagan, and before him, Richard Nixon, and before Nixon, a slew of conservative politicians going back through American history, have played to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/sasha-abramsky-26920_american-history_ronald-reagan-and-before-him-richard-nix_2605998.jpg" --- # Ronald Reagan, and before him, Richard Nixon, and before… ![“Ronald Reagan, and before him, Richard Nixon, and before Nixon, a slew of conservative politicians going back through American history, have played to the idea that the great majority of poor people are somehow "undeserving," and being undeserving, merit at best very limited, oftentimes deeply…” quote by Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/sasha-abramsky-26920_american-history_ronald-reagan-and-before-him-richard-nix_2605998.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/sasha-abramsky-26920_american-history_ronald-reagan-and-before-him-richard-nix_2605998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/sasha-abramsky-26920_american-history_ronald-reagan-and-before-him-richard-nix_2605998.jpg) > “Ronald Reagan, and before him, Richard Nixon, and before Nixon, a slew of conservative politicians going back through American history, have played to the idea that the great majority of poor people are somehow "undeserving," and being undeserving, merit at best very limited, oftentimes deeply coercive and humiliating, government interventions to better their finances. That narrative isn't about to disappear overnight; but it strikes me as being like a weak gruel - there's no sustenance in it, no heft behind the argument.” [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Conservative rhetoric frames poor people as undeserving, leading to weak, punitive policies. **In simple terms:** Critiques harmful narratives about poverty. Key Takeaway Challenge and narratives with empathy. Themes politics poverty policy narrative Mood critical hopeful Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy debates - public discourse - advocacy campaigns Key Concepts social justice economic inequality Questions to Reflect On - How can we reshape public perception of poverty? - What policies better support the poor without stigma? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑rooted beliefs is slow and contested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Finance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finance/) [Government intervention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-intervention/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Poor people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-people/) ## Related quotes > [So long as the great majority of the poor in any country are inert and are laboring without any hope in this world, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-croly/so-long-as-the-great-majority-of-the-poor-in-any-country-are-inert/) [Herbert Croly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-croly/) > [“Center and periphery" is a model for explaining this situation on our one earth. It makes apparent how the minority in the rich countries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-soelle/center-and-periphery-is-a-model-for-explaining-this-situation-on-our/) [Dorothee Soelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-soelle/) > [We want to begin in working-class neighborhoods. We want to test the concept there, because our idea is that fair trade should not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-suarez-melendez/we-want-to-begin-in-working-class-neighborhoods-we-want-to-test-the/) Victor Suarez Melendez > [“Today, the majority of poor renting families in America spend over half of their income on housing, and at least one in four dedicates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/today-the-majority-of-poor-renting-families-in-america-spend-over/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [The primary function of government is to protect the minority of the opulent from the majority of the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-primary-function-of-government-is-to-protect-the-minority-of-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [All through it, I have known myself to be quite undeserving. And yet I have had the weakness, and have still the weakness, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/all-through-it-i-have-known-myself-to-be-quite-undeserving-and-yet-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines him to bestow benefits on the undeserving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/grace-is-the-good-pleasure-of-god-that-inclines-him-to-bestow/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [In addition to encouraging us to participate in narratives of "deservingness" that cast large parts of our constituencies as "undeserving," legal reform strategies encourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/in-addition-to-encouraging-us-to-participate-in-narratives-of/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [“I, who am altogether undeserving, am treated as if I had been deserving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/i-who-am-altogether-undeserving-am-treated-as-if-i-had-been-deserving/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [Grace is unconditional acceptance given to an undeserving person by an unobligated giver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/grace-is-unconditional-acceptance-given-to-an-undeserving-person-by/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [“there is only one solitude, and it is great and is not easy to bear, and to almost everyone there come hours when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/there-is-only-one-solitude-and-it-is-great-and-is-not-easy-to-bear/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [Boy, I feel more and more undeserving each moment !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hrithik-roshan/boy-i-feel-more-and-more-undeserving-each-moment/) [Hrithik Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hrithik-roshan/) > [She explained that many people, but especially women, feel fraudulent when they are praised for their accomplishments. Instead of feeling worthy of recognition, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/she-explained-that-many-people-but-especially-women-feel-fraudulent/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“Jesus came to give his righteousness not to condemn the unrighteous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-canoza/jesus-came-to-give-his-righteousness-not-to-condemn-the-unrighteous/) [Mac Canoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-canoza/) > [Grow up? Get herself straightened out? Her mind reeled from the verbal battering. No matter what she did, her father would tell her she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/grow-up-get-herself-straightened-out-her-mind-reeled-from-the-verbal/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) ## More by Sasha Abramsky > [One of the most durable successes of the war on poverty was to dramatically reduce the number of elderly poor in America. That's still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/one-of-the-most-durable-successes-of-the-war-on-poverty-was-to/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [The reliance on stereotypes is in part the result of a structural problem within the media. Most newspapers have a business beat, with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/the-reliance-on-stereotypes-is-in-part-the-result-of-a-structural/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [To really tackle poverty, politicians, activists, academics will all have to think outside their boxes, will have to start developing much more integrated approaches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/to-really-tackle-poverty-politicians-activists-academics-will-all/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [When I talk about an "empathy bank," I don't mean literally opening up a bank and putting in deposits. What I mean is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/when-i-talk-about-an-empathy-bank-i-don-t-mean-literally-opening-up-a/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [As a country, Americans have to find a way to keep our cities solvent. If large numbers of cities no longer have the necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/as-a-country-americans-have-to-find-a-way-to-keep-our-cities-solvent/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [It seems to me that large numbers of people are now paying attention to poverty and that large numbers now understand that blaming the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/it-seems-to-me-that-large-numbers-of-people-are-now-paying-attention/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [“Like a man who pinches himself to make sure he still has feeling, Chimen read to reassure himself that he was still alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/like-a-man-who-pinches-himself-to-make-sure-he-still-has-feeling/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [Too often the media assumes that "poverty" is an African American or a Latino issue. Of course, that's nonsense. While a higher percentage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/too-often-the-media-assumes-that-poverty-is-an-african-american-or-a/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [Despite all of the civil rights gains of the past several decades, when it comes to economic opportunity, African Americans and Latinos still experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/despite-all-of-the-civil-rights-gains-of-the-past-several-decades/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [Big cities like New York are thriving, economically, culturally, in terms of real estate values, and by a slew of other measures. Yet, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/big-cities-like-new-york-are-thriving-economically-culturally-in/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [Today there are a huge number of think tanks working on poverty-related issues; there are books written on the topic; and university centers being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/today-there-are-a-huge-number-of-think-tanks-working-on-poverty/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [I recognize that individuals and organizations with tremendous financial clout and open access to the political system in the post-Citizens United era, are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/i-recognize-that-individuals-and-organizations-with-tremendous/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [I argue that in the long run, the US would be on a far more financially secure footing if we recalibrate how we spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/i-argue-that-in-the-long-run-the-us-would-be-on-a-far-more/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [The poverty we see in America is now too widespread, and too complex, for easy fixes. But I do think we can reimagine many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/the-poverty-we-see-in-america-is-now-too-widespread-and-too-complex/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [You can't lift people out of poverty simply by tweaking the tax system, or by raising the minimum wage by a few cents, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/you-can-t-lift-people-out-of-poverty-simply-by-tweaking-the-tax/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) [Explore all 21 Sasha Abramsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) ## More American history quotes > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [John Lane has long been recognized as one of the South's finest poets and memoirists. This debut establishes him as one of our finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rash/john-lane-has-long-been-recognized-as-one-of-the-south-s-finest-poets/) [Ron Rash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rash/) > [No man-made structure in all of American history has been hated so much, by so many, for so long, with such good reason, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/no-man-made-structure-in-all-of-american-history-has-been-hated-so/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We must not falsely teach American history in our schools. We have a law requiring state textbook oversight to guard against frauds like Zinn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/we-must-not-falsely-teach-american-history-in-our-schools-we-have-a/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-and possibly teh bogey man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-paulsen/the-only-thing-we-have-to-fear-is-fear-itself-and-possibly-teh-bogey/) [Pat Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-paulsen/) > [“Thanks in part to the rapid mechanization of cotton production in the early 1940s, which ultimately threw millions of farm laborers out of work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/thanks-in-part-to-the-rapid-mechanization-of-cotton-production-in-the/) [James T. 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Obama isn'€™t the first president to abuse executive power -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/modern-democrats-aren-t-the-first-political-party-to-abuse-power-far/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [Medicare and Social Security have created the healthiest and most financially secure generation of senior citizens in American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-walsh/medicare-and-social-security-have-created-the-healthiest-and-most/) [Jim Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-walsh/) > [The school curriculum today, particularly American history, is a shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-school-curriculum-today-particularly-american-history-is-a-shame/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“I used to walk out, at night, to the breakwater which divides the end of the harbor form the broad moor of the salt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/i-used-to-walk-out-at-night-to-the-breakwater-which-divides-the-end/) [Mark Doty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-doty/) [Browse all 685 American history quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-history/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ronald Reagan, and before him, Richard Nixon, and before Nixon, a slew of conservative politicians going back through American history, have played to the idea that the great majority of poor people are somehow \"undeserving,\" and being undeserving, merit at best very limited, oftentimes deeply coercive and humiliating, government interventions to better their finances. 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