Football strategy does not originate in a scrimmage: it is useless to expect solutions in a political campaign.
Walter LippmannRead
A country survives its legislation. That truth should not comfort the conservative nor depress the radical. For it means that public policy can enlarge its scope and increase its audacity, can try big experiments without trembling too much over the result. This nation could enter upon the most radical experiments and could afford to fail in them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Legislation shapes a nation's character, allowing for bold policy experiments without fear of failure.
Walter Lippmann's quote suggests that the resilience of a country is reflected in its ability to enact bold legislation. It implies that both conservatives and radicals should find a different perspective in understanding that public policy can evolve, enabling the nation to explore significant changes and innovations, even if they may not always succeed. The inherent strength of a nation lies in its willingness to experiment and adapt.
Themes
LegislationExperimentationNational PolicyAudacityFailureAdaptation
In practice
Example use cases
During a political debate about government reform, a speaker can use this quote to emphasize the need for bold policy proposals.
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The private citizen, beset by partisan appeals for the loan of his Public Opinion, will soon see, perhaps, that these appeals are not a compliment to his intelligence, but an imposition on his good nature and an insult to his sense of evidence.
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