# Quote — Robert A. Heinlein, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

> Suppose instead of election a man were qualified for office by petition signed by four thousand citizens. He would then represent those four thousand affirmatively, with no disgruntled minority, for what would have been a minority in a territorial constituency would all be free to start other petitions or join in them. All would then be represented by men of their choice. Or a man with eight thousand supporters might have two votes in this body. Difficulties, objections, practical points to be worked out — many of them! But you could work them out. . . and thereby avoid the chronic sickness of representative government, the disgruntled minority which feels — correctly! — that it has been disenfranchised.

- Author: [Robert A. Heinlein](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein.md)
- Book: [The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress.md)
- Page: 301
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Moon_Is_a_Harsh_Mistress#Quotes) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/suppose-instead-of-election

## More from this book

> Acronym created by Heinlein for "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"; Heinlein and Milton Friedman are sometimes credited with creating this phrase, but it existed well before either's use of it, dating to at least the 1930s.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/acronym-created-by-heinlein.md)

> Acronym for "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch." The origin of this phrase is often misattributed to Heinlein or Milton Friedman, but it actually dates back to at least the 1930s. Heinlein's contribution was to make the acronym for it.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/acronym-for-there.md)

> What I fear most are affirmative actions of sober and well-intentioned men, granting to government powers to do something that appears to need doing.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/robert-a-heinlein/the-moon-is-a-harsh-mistress/what-i-fear.md)