No one is innocent after the experience of governing. But not everyone is guilty.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
...there is simply nothing so important to a people and its government as how many of them there are, whether their number is growing or declining, how they are distributed as between different ages, sexes, and different social classes and racial and ethnic groups, and again, which way these numbers are moving.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Population dynamics are essential for understanding societal health and government policies.
This quote emphasizes the significance of demographics in shaping the policies and priorities of a government. It highlights that understanding population size, growth trends, and the distribution across various categories such as age, sex, class, and ethnicity is crucial for governance and planning.
Themes
PopulationDemographicsGovernmentSocietyPolicy
In practice
Example use cases
In a civic meeting discussing urban planning, this quote can underscore the importance of demographic studies.
More from Daniel Patrick Moynihan
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The richest inheritance any child can have is a stable, loving, disciplined family life.
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