"Well, just that there would be somebody in the office and the voters - it was more or less an understanding in the entire community, as long as that person was doing a good job on the merits, nobody was going to run against him"

This quote by Stephen Breyer suggests that there was an understanding in the community that as long as the individual in the office was doing a good job, no one would run versus them. This suggests that the community was content with the task the individual was doing and did not feel the requirement to replace them. It likewise suggests that the community was willing to offer the person in workplace an opportunity to show themselves which they would be evaluated on their merits. This quote highlights the significance of meritocracy and how it can be useful to the neighborhood. It also reveals the significance of having a great relationship between the neighborhood and the person in workplace.