Administrative Quote by Walter Lippmann
“The man who will follow precedent, but never create one, is merely an obvious example of the routineer. You find him desperately numerous in the civil service, in the official bureaus. To him government is something given as unconditionally, as absolutely as ocean or hill. He goes on winding the tape that he finds. His imagination has rarely extricated itself from under the administrative machine to gain any sense of what a human, temporary contraption the whole affair is. What he thinks is the heavens above him is nothing but the roof.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Future of Democracy, 1945
He criticizes bureaucrats who obey tradition without innovation, seeing them as constrained by the system.
In simple terms: Bureaucrats follow rules blindly, lacking imagination.
Key Takeaway
Encourage critical thinking over blind obedience.
Themes
bureaucracy
innovation
government
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- public administration
- policy making
- organizational reform
Key Concepts
critical theory
institutional inertia
creative thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- What incentives could foster creativity in government?
- How can institutions balance stability with innovation?
A Different Perspective
The view may overgeneralize civil servants, ignoring reformers within.
