"I feel good because I believe I have made progress in rebuilding the people's trust in their government"
About this Quote
The specific intent is reputational and institutional at once. As an outsider-celebrity turned governor, Schwarzenegger needed to justify his seriousness. “I believe” is a tell: it lowers the temperature, preempting accusations of bragging while still taking ownership of improvement. He’s not promising perfection; he’s claiming momentum, a measurable arc. Progress, not triumph.
The subtext is a post-scandal, post-cynicism realism: trust isn’t assumed; it’s broken and must be rebuilt. He implicitly acknowledges that government entered his tenure in a deficit of legitimacy - and that public faith is the real currency. Coming from an actor, that’s especially pointed. He knows the mechanics of audience belief: you don’t argue people into trust; you stage consistency, competence, and a narrative of change until skepticism loosens.
Contextually, Schwarzenegger’s political brand was “above the mess,” a centrist performance of pragmatism meant to calm a state tired of dysfunction. The line works because it sells politics as restoration, not revolution - and because it treats the public as an audience that deserves to be won back, not managed.
Quote Details
| Topic | Leadership |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Schwarzenegger, Arnold. (2026, January 17). I feel good because I believe I have made progress in rebuilding the people's trust in their government. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-feel-good-because-i-believe-i-have-made-29928/
Chicago Style
Schwarzenegger, Arnold. "I feel good because I believe I have made progress in rebuilding the people's trust in their government." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-feel-good-because-i-believe-i-have-made-29928/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I feel good because I believe I have made progress in rebuilding the people's trust in their government." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-feel-good-because-i-believe-i-have-made-29928/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.






