---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Have you noticed that the people who…"
description: "\"Have you noticed that the people who actually make the laws, the people in power, never make laws for themselves?\" — William Powell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/william-powell-20136_law_have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-act_2067279.png"
---

#  Have you noticed that the people who actually make the…

![“Have you noticed that the people who actually make the laws, the people in power, never make laws for themselves?” quote by William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/william-powell-20136_law_have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-act_2067279.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/william-powell-20136_law_have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-act_2067279.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/william-powell-20136_law_have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-act_2067279.png)

> “Have you noticed that the people who actually make the laws, the people in power, never make laws for themselves?”

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

## About This Quote

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

Those in power create laws for others but not for themselves, revealing a double standard.

**In simple terms:** Leaders make rules for others, not themselves.

Key Takeaway

Question authority’s fairness.

Themes

politics ethics power

Mood

critical inquisitive

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- legislation
- government
- public policy

Key Concepts

hypocrisy lawmaking self‑interest

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do lawmakers avoid self‑regulation?
- What are the consequences of this double standard?

A Different Perspective

Leaders may claim exemptions are justified.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-power/)

## Related quotes

> [“Sometimes it seems that those with the greatest disregard for our laws are the same people in charge of creating or enforcing them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/sometimes-it-seems-that-those-with-the-greatest-disregard-for-our/)

[Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/)

> [People who are very beautiful make their own laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivien-leigh/people-who-are-very-beautiful-make-their-own-laws/)

[Vivien Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivien-leigh/)

> [You don't need lawyers making laws. Regular citizens can make laws. Let the lawyers work under the laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/you-don-t-need-lawyers-making-laws-regular-citizens-can-make-laws-let/)

[Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/)

> [To make laws is a human instinct that arises as soon as food and shelter have been ensured, among all peoples, everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/to-make-laws-is-a-human-instinct-that-arises-as-soon-as-food-and/)

[Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/)

> [Men do not make laws. They do but discover them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/men-do-not-make-laws-they-do-but-discover-them/)

[Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/)

> [Big Business can make laws as easily as it can break them - and with as little impunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-chaplin/big-business-can-make-laws-as-easily-as-it-can-break-them-and-with-as/)

[Ralph Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-chaplin/)

> [Many laws as certainly make men bad, as bad men make many laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/many-laws-as-certainly-make-men-bad-as-bad-men-make-many-laws/)

[Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/)

> [People are unwilling to enforce the laws on the books. Instead, they make more laws. Why can't we get this right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-szeliga/people-are-unwilling-to-enforce-the-laws-on-the-books-instead-they/)

[Kathy Szeliga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-szeliga/)

> [To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/to-make-laws-that-man-cannot-and-will-not-obey-serves-to-bring-all/)

[Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/)

> [Public officers are the servants and agents of the people, to execute the laws which the people have made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/public-officers-are-the-servants-and-agents-of-the-people-to-execute/)

[Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/)

> [You can't lay down laws for what people think and hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/you-can-t-lay-down-laws-for-what-people-think-and-hope/)

[Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/)

> [Government was instituted by God to bring His laws to people and to carry out His will and purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/government-was-instituted-by-god-to-bring-his-laws-to-people-and-to/)

[Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/)

> [“She was learning to treat laws as most people treat poems, making them mean whatever she wanted them to without reference to the author's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-rule/she-was-learning-to-treat-laws-as-most-people-treat-poems-making-them/)

[Jane Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-rule/)

> [I think it's a conundrum. If we have no laws on this, people take it to one extension further, does it have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-it-s-a-conundrum-if-we-have-no-laws-on-this-people-take-it-to/)

[Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/)

> [“God gave laws to His people to bless them, not to burden them. Every rule either elevates the quality of human life or restores…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swindoll-charles-r/god-gave-laws-to-his-people-to-bless-them-not-to-burden-them-every/)

[Swindoll Charles R](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swindoll-charles-r/)

## More by William Powell

> [I would warn against holsters with devices for quick-draw. Devices always fail when you need them most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/i-would-warn-against-holsters-with-devices-for-quick-draw-devices/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [I can fully appreciate the fury and anger that a person can feel when put through a humiliating experience by a cop, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/i-can-fully-appreciate-the-fury-and-anger-that-a-person-can-feel-when/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [One of the greatest myths of all time is that so-called civilized man is no longer an animal, and for that reason can strive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/one-of-the-greatest-myths-of-all-time-is-that-so-called-civilized-man/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [Power is not a material possession that can be given, it is the ability to act. Power must be taken, it is never given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/power-is-not-a-material-possession-that-can-be-given-it-is-the/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [A revolution was never fought, throughout history, for ideals. Revolutions were fought for much more concrete things: food, clothes, housing, and to relieve intolerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/a-revolution-was-never-fought-throughout-history-for-ideals/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [It has got to the point in this country where men believe they are men, just because that is their birthright. If that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/it-has-got-to-the-point-in-this-country-where-men-believe-they-are/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [My friends have stood by me marvelously in the ups and downs of my career. I don't believe there is anything more worthwhile in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/my-friends-have-stood-by-me-marvelously-in-the-ups-and-downs-of-my/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [Nanotechnology is manufacturing with atoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/nanotechnology-is-manufacturing-with-atoms/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [There is only one purpose in hand-to-hand combat, and that is to kill. Never face an enemy with the idea of knocking him out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/there-is-only-one-purpose-in-hand-to-hand-combat-and-that-is-to-kill/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [Unity is the only way in which the people of this country can overthrow the fascists, communists, capitalists, and all the other assholes who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/unity-is-the-only-way-in-which-the-people-of-this-country-can/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [It seems acceptable today to scream for revolution, without any concept of what will follow it. This is just what the forces at large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/it-seems-acceptable-today-to-scream-for-revolution-without-any/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [Why did God make so many dumb fools and Democrats?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/why-did-god-make-so-many-dumb-fools-and-democrats/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [Never before have self-suffiency and education been so important, and they are virtually inseparable from survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/never-before-have-self-suffiency-and-education-been-so-important-and/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [I detest symbolic protest, as it is an outcry of weak, middle-of-the-road, liberal eunuchs. If an individual feels strongly enough about something to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/i-detest-symbolic-protest-as-it-is-an-outcry-of-weak-middle-of-the/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

> [“Cultivate solitude, quiet and a few sincere friends, rather than mob merriment, noise and thousands of nodding acquaintances.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/cultivate-solitude-quiet-and-a-few-sincere-friends-rather-than-mob/)

[William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

[Explore all 31 William Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/)

## More Law quotes

> [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [ \[Islam\] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abul-a-la-maududi/islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislation-in-an-islamic-state-because/)

[Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abul-a-la-maududi/)

> [The law is like apparel, which alters with the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dodderidge/the-law-is-like-apparel-which-alters-with-the-time/)

John Dodderidge

> [I am convinced that we will never build a democratic state based on rule of law if we do not at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/i-am-convinced-that-we-will-never-build-a-democratic-state-based-on/)

[Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/)

> [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/)

[Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/)

> [Dictatorship is rule based directly upon force and unrestricted by any laws. The revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat is rule won and maintained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/dictatorship-is-rule-based-directly-upon-force-and-unrestricted-by/)

[Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/)

> [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/)

[Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/)

> [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [Laws undertake to punish only overt acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/laws-undertake-to-punish-only-overt-acts/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [In relations between the rich and the strong, between the rich and the poor, between the master and the servant, it's liberty that grinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-relations-between-the-rich-and-the-strong-between-the-rich-and-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

[Browse all 16,973 Law quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Have you noticed that the people who actually make the laws, the people in power, never make laws for themselves?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Powell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-actually-make-the-laws-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Law"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-actually-make-the-laws-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/william-powell-20136_law_have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-act_2067279.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/william-powell-20136_law_have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-act_2067279.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/william-powell-20136_law_have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-act_2067279.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Have you noticed that the people who actually make the laws, the people in power, never make laws for…” — William Powell",
                "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": "William Powell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Have you noticed that the people...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-actually-make-the-laws-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/have-you-noticed-that-the-people-who-actually-make-the-laws-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
