Daniel Patrick Moynihan Quotes

A collection of quotes by Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003) was an American politician, sociologist, and diplomat. He served as the United States Senator from New York for four terms from 1977 to 2001. Moynihan was known for his intellectualism and sharp insights into urban problems, poverty, and racial inequality. He played a significant role in shaping social policy, particularly in advocating for welfare reform and family-centered policies. Moynihan also served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations and in various other diplomatic posts. His contributions to American politics and social issues continue to be influential even after his death.

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own fac

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Somehow liberals have been unable to acquire from life what

Somehow liberals have been unable to acquire from life what conservatives seem to be endowed with at birth: namely, a healthy skepticism of the powers of government agencies to do good.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Government

The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not po

The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Change

The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not po

The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics,that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.As cited in Losing Legitimacy: Street Crime and the Decline of Social Institutions in America by Gary LaFree 1998 : Moynihan is quoted in an article that appeared in Mickey Kaus, The Work Ethic State, The New Republic (1986) July 7:22-33, 23; Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Family and Nation: The Godkin Lectures (San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1986).

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Liberalism

We can see the Divine in each speck of dust, but that doesn'

We can see the Divine in each speck of dust, but that doesn't stop us from wiping it away with a wet sponge. The Divine doesn't disappear; it's transformed into the clean surface.

The great corporations of this country were not founded by o

The great corporations of this country were not founded by ordinary people. They were founded by people with extraordinary intelligence, ambition, and aggressiveness.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Intelligence