All free governments are managed by the combined wisdom and folly of the people.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Governments function through a mix of people's wisdom and mistakes.
- In plain terms
- Free governments are run by people who are sometimes wise and sometimes foolish.
- What can you take from it?
- Governance includes human flaws.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How much wisdom does a nation have?
- Can democracy work with folly?
Another view
Not all free governments manage to balance this well.
More from James A. Garfield
A pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck.
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