--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's healthy for government to be a kind…" description: "\"It's healthy for government to be a kind of moral catalyst, using the bully pulpit of high office.\" — William Weld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/william-weld-10180_bully_it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind_1614605.jpg" --- # It's healthy for government to be a kind of moral… ![“It's healthy for government to be a kind of moral catalyst, using the bully pulpit of high office.” quote by William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/william-weld-10180_bully_it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind_1614605.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/william-weld-10180_bully_it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind_1614605.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/william-weld-10180_bully_it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind_1614605.jpg) > “It's healthy for government to be a kind of moral catalyst, using the bully pulpit of high office.” [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government should act as a moral leader, using its high‑profile platform to influence public values. **In simple terms:** Government as moral catalyst. Key Takeaway Leverage authority for good. Themes politics ethics leadership Mood thoughtful concerned Type political philosophical When to use this quote - legislative debates - public campaigns - non‑profit advocacy Key Concepts public policy civic responsibility influence Questions to Reflect On - When should government stay neutral? - How to ensure moral authority? A Different Perspective Power can be misused for propaganda. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bully/) [Bully Pulpit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bully-pulpit-947599/) [Catalyst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catalyst/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-kind-935881/) [Healthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy/) [Healthy Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy-government-6158730/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-moral-1363748/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral Catalyst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-catalyst-6158731/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Pulpit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulpit/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that a government has only one religion - India first. A government has only one holy book - our Constitution. A government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/i-believe-that-a-government-has-only-one-religion-india-first-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Turning the other cheek is a kind of moral jiu-jitsu.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-stanley-lee/turning-the-other-cheek-is-a-kind-of-moral-jiu-jitsu/) [Gerald Stanley Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-stanley-lee/) > [I have always thought of government as a kind of organism with an insatiable appetite for money, whose natural state is to grow forever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-have-always-thought-of-government-as-a-kind-of-organism-with-an/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I learnt a lot in government, and I've learnt a lot since leaving government. The kind of journey of being in government is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-learnt-a-lot-in-government-and-i-ve-learnt-a-lot-since-leaving/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [He wished he could arrange a maiming as a kind of moral lesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/he-wished-he-could-arrange-a-maiming-as-a-kind-of-moral-lesson/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Government is a kind of legalized pillage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/government-is-a-kind-of-legalized-pillage/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [In Belarus, the government is a kind of presidential monarchy with no checks, no balances, and no rule of law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/in-belarus-the-government-is-a-kind-of-presidential-monarchy-with-no/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [I guess to me religion is a kind of moral code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-rubin/i-guess-to-me-religion-is-a-kind-of-moral-code/) [Vera Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-rubin/) > [With truths of a certain kind, it is not enough to make them appear convincing: one must also make them felt. Of such kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/with-truths-of-a-certain-kind-it-is-not-enough-to-make-them-appear/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Coming into World War II, we were seen as a conquering hero for beleaguered people, we are now seen as invader, an occupier. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/coming-into-world-war-ii-we-were-seen-as-a-conquering-hero-for/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“Wolf apparently holds me to some kind of moral standard that he himself doesn't even observe but thinks I should.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alecia-whitaker/wolf-apparently-holds-me-to-some-kind-of-moral-standard-that-he/) [Alecia Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alecia-whitaker/) > [I find that government can be a kind of gangsterism and is in Russia. And is likely to be in America if we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/i-find-that-government-can-be-a-kind-of-gangsterism-and-is-in-russia/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [It's a new phenomenon in America that states can now sue the national government and become a kind of check and balance on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/it-s-a-new-phenomenon-in-america-that-states-can-now-sue-the-national/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [On an occasion of this kind it becomes more than a moral duty to speak one's mind. It becomes a pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/on-an-occasion-of-this-kind-it-becomes-more-than-a-moral-duty-to/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [You make men love their government and their country by giving them the kind of government and the kind of country that inspire respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zechariah-chafee/you-make-men-love-their-government-and-their-country-by-giving-them/) [Zechariah Chafee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zechariah-chafee/) ## More by William Weld > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [ I talk with Gary \[Johnson\] every other day, we're on different coasts usually but we keep in touch and - yeah, no I do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/i-talk-with-gary-johnson-every-other-day-we-re-on-different-coasts/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [We are making our case that we're fiscally responsible and socially inclusive and welcoming. And we think we've got on the merits the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/we-are-making-our-case-that-we-re-fiscally-responsible-and-socially/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [I think coercive taxation is theft, and government has a moral duty to keep it to a minimum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/i-think-coercive-taxation-is-theft-and-government-has-a-moral-duty-to/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [I don't understand the Democrats' approach to Social Security in this country, and I'm not alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/i-don-t-understand-the-democrats-approach-to-social-security-in-this/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [ \[James\] Comey's got a good background but there's nothing there, so far as it appears. Nothing there. So he wrote the letter to the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/james-comey-s-got-a-good-background-but-there-s-nothing-there-so-far/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [ \[Donald Trump\] just would not be in his element and I think he would wobble off course and I think the country just can't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/donald-trump-just-would-not-be-in-his-element-and-i-think-he-would/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [ \[James Comey\] should have gone to the Public Integrity section and said 'What do you folks think.' It's a little bit of an odd… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/james-comey-should-have-gone-to-the-public-integrity-section-and-said/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [Government is never so noble as when it is addressing wrongs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/government-is-never-so-noble-as-when-it-is-addressing-wrongs/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [The system that had grown up in most states is that wealthy districts with an affluent population can afford to spend a lot more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/the-system-that-had-grown-up-in-most-states-is-that-wealthy-districts/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [The unemployment rate is still twice as high for blacks as for whites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/the-unemployment-rate-is-still-twice-as-high-for-blacks-as-for-whites/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [Do we believe that there is equal economic opportunity out there in the real world, right now, for each and every one of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/do-we-believe-that-there-is-equal-economic-opportunity-out-there-in/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [There's no Walter Cronkite to give you the final word each evening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/there-s-no-walter-cronkite-to-give-you-the-final-word-each-evening/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [I think Gary Johnson would be capable of being a good chief executive and yes a commander in chief - Aleppo to the contrary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/i-think-gary-johnson-would-be-capable-of-being-a-good-chief-executive/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [I extend that to the abortion issue, I extend that to the so-called gay rights issue, I think this is a freedom principle and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/i-extend-that-to-the-abortion-issue-i-extend-that-to-the-so-called/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) [Explore all 67 William Weld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) ## More Bully quotes > [I never caught on to being a bully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nolte/i-never-caught-on-to-being-a-bully/) [Nick Nolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nolte/) > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [ \[Putin\] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/putin-is-a-bully-and-bullies-only-understand-when-we-punch-them-in/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [Bullies enjoy dark happiness; these are the blank parts that eventually fill their minds with nothingness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-shanks/bullies-enjoy-dark-happiness-these-are-the-blank-parts-that/) [Emily Shanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-shanks/) > [“You fed us, washed us, forced that vile medicine down our throats. By sheer force of will you made some of us live who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-osborne/you-fed-us-washed-us-forced-that-vile-medicine-down-our-throats-by/) [Maggie Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-osborne/) > [Nothing can prepare you for living or working with a sociopathic serial bully. It is the most devastating, draining, misunderstood, and ultimately futile experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-field/nothing-can-prepare-you-for-living-or-working-with-a-sociopathic/) [Tim Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-field/) > [John McCain is a liar and flip-flopper and panderer and bully and whiner. And it seems to be working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tomasky/john-mccain-is-a-liar-and-flip-flopper-and-panderer-and-bully-and/) [Michael Tomasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tomasky/) > [Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/democracy-becomes-a-government-of-bullies-tempered-by-editors/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I daydreamed that when you grow up there are more bullies and how wonderful that would be if it were true, but, it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-daydreamed-that-when-you-grow-up-there-are-more-bullies-and-how/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [The real problem with Donald Trump is, if you engage him, it will only make things worse. It's like - it's a little bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-walter/the-real-problem-with-donald-trump-is-if-you-engage-him-it-will-only/) [Amy Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-walter/) > [It won't ruin our movement if someone gets killed in an animal rights action. It's going to happen sooner or later. The Animal Liberation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-vlasak/it-won-t-ruin-our-movement-if-someone-gets-killed-in-an-animal-rights/) [Jerry Vlasak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-vlasak/) > [It's the bully who is insecure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/it-s-the-bully-who-is-insecure/) [Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/) > [Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/knowing-what-s-right-doesn-t-mean-much-unless-you-do-what-s-right/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“Jilly looked at it with a sinking heart. It was difficult enough when the exotic, undeniably gorgeous creature of her fantasies had turned out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-stuart/jilly-looked-at-it-with-a-sinking-heart-it-was-difficult-enough-when/) [Anne Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-stuart/) > [Always be a first-rate version of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/always-be-a-first-rate-version-of-yourself/) [Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/) [Browse all 729 Bully quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bully/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's healthy for government to be a kind of moral catalyst, using the bully pulpit of high office.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Weld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind-of-moral-catalyst-using-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bully" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind-of-moral-catalyst-using-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/william-weld-10180_bully_it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind_1614605.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/william-weld-10180_bully_it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind_1614605.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/william-weld-10180_bully_it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind_1614605.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's healthy for government to be a kind of moral catalyst, using the bully pulpit of high office.” — William Weld", "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 Weld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's healthy for government to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind-of-moral-catalyst-using-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/it-s-healthy-for-government-to-be-a-kind-of-moral-catalyst-using-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 } } ] } ```