The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.
Meaning of the quote
The quote means that the best way to have a government that works well is to start by making sure your own home and family are organized and running smoothly. If you can't manage your own affairs, it will be hard for you to help run the government effectively. It's important to practice good citizenship and responsibility in your daily life before trying to change the government.
About Charles Evans Hughes
Charles Evans Hughes Sr. was an American statesman, politician, academic, and jurist who served as the 11th chief justice of the United States. He had a remarkable career, serving as governor of New York, an associate justice of the Supreme Court, and U.S. secretary of state before becoming chief justice.
More quotes from Charles Evans Hughes
Dissents are appeals to the brooding spirit of the law, to the intelligence of another day.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
War should be made a crime, and those who instigate it should be punished as criminals.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
While democracy must have its organization and controls, its vital breath is individual liberty.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good company.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
In a number of cases dissenting opinions have in time become the law.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
The United States is the greatest law factory the world has ever known.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
I believe in work, hard work, and long hours of work. Men do not breakdown from overwork, but from worry and dissipation.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
We are under a Constitution, but the Constitution is what the judges say it is, and the judiciary is the safeguard of our property and our liberty and our property under the Constitution.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
The power to wage war is the power to wage war successfully.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
When we deal with questions relating to principles of law and their applications, we do not suddenly rise into a stratosphere of icy certainty.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
Men do not die from overwork. They die from dissipation and worry.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941
Publicity is a great purifier because it sets in action the forces of public opinion, and in this country public opinion controls the courses of the nation.
Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941