noun
governing a nation and providing relief to people
A yojijukugo (four-character compound) expressing the ideal of ruling a country and saving its people from hardship. Formal and literary; used in political or historical contexts.
経国済民の精神は、古くから為政者の理想とされてきた。
The spirit of governing the nation and relieving the people has long been considered an ideal for rulers.
治国平天下 (governing the country and bringing peace to the world) is a similar Confucian ideal, but 経国済民 emphasizes relief of the people's suffering more directly.
A yojijukugo derived from classical Chinese political thought, combining 経国 (governing a country) and 済民 (saving the people).