Bad officials are the ones elected by good citizens who do not vote.

Nathan’s aphorism frames political failure not primarily as the product of villains, but of civic neglect. “Bad officials” are depicted as an avoidable outcome when “good citizens” abstain from voting, implying that democratic systems reward participation and punish apathy. The line also shifts moral responsibility: nonvoters are not neutral observers but indirect enablers of poor governance. As a piece of political rhetoric, it functions as a rebuke and a call to action, suggesting that the ballot is a basic instrument of accountability and that disengagement cedes power to narrower, more motivated interests.

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.”
“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote.”
“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who fail to vote.”