John Quincy Adams Quotes

Appointments to office were not to be made nor expected merely as rewards for partisan services, nor merely on the nomination of members of Congress, as being entitled in any respect to the control of such appointments.

Ability and fitness for the office, where they exist, are as a rule, purely accidental. The selection is made primarily to strengthen the power of the party. This explains the principle by which appointments are parceled out to meet the alleged claims of particular political districts; it also explains the even more vicious principle by which race, nationality and creed often dictate the selection of Magistrates.

Throughout most of Chicago's history, the Civil Service Commission has been enmeshed in partisan politics. Thousands of city employees were given temporary appointments and kept in this status, year after year, in order to keep them loyal partisan political workers.

Lincoln left the bulk of the nominations for presidential as well as for subordinate offices to his political friends and advisors. The military forces as well as the civilian establishment were exploited freely, and political generals were notoriously numerous. With more offices at his disposal than any president up to that time, … Lincoln appears to have used — or permitted the use of — the appointing power at his command as deliberately as they could have been used for practical, and usually partisan, political purposes.

Why should I reward someone who doesn’t like the President, so they can use funds to try to campaign against the President.

In appointments to office the government refuses to know any difference between descriptions of republicans…

It is also absolutely necessary that the examinations should be competitive, and the appointments given to those who are most successful. A mere pass examination never, in the long run, does more than exclude absolute dunces.

What we called the Civil Service was, in the main, merely a mass of Republican political appointees frozen into office by act of Congress.

Every President does it. It goes back to George Washington. I can’t say that past Administrations have asked the same questions, but the end result is the same—you put people on boards that you want.

To call an individual from private life in order that he may preside over the interests of millions; to invest him with the various dignified functions, and the extensive patronage which appertain to a station so exalted; to secure as completely as possible, the free exercise of the people's rights; to discourage and prevent the artifices of party, and of individual ambition; and to accomplish all this by means of a fixed and practicable system which should neither be misunderstood, perverted nor resisted, was a task of no small difficulty.

The State, in choosing men to serve it, takes no notice of their opinions. If they be willing faithfully to serve it, that satisfies.

I hate all politics. I don't like either political party. One should not belong to them - one should be an individual, standing in the middle. Anyone that belongs to a party stops thinking.

The American people do not want ambassadorships or any other position handed out to save a party money.

In 44 states, the [parole] board is wholly appointed by the governor, and the well-paid positions can become gifts for former aides and political allies. While some state laws require basic qualifications, these statutes are often vaguely worded, with language that is easily sidestepped. Many states have no minimum requirements at all.

Instead of sending the best and the brightest Americans to Baghdad for the occupation, the Bush administration sent the loyal and the willing… People were asked about how they felt about Roe v. Wade and their party affiliation and their religion… The experience of Jay Hallan, 2 years out of college, was as a White House intern. He was placed in charge of opening the Baghdad Stock Exchange…. Most of the staff had never before worked outside the United States.

I would sooner attack either of those gentlemen in the open street than consent to oppose any local appointment they might desire to make in their respective states.

If I cannot find qualified Republicans, I am going to appoint Democrats.

Whenever anyone complains about the confirmation process, it means their guy is getting roughed up.

I favor putting the responsibility for the dispensing of patronage squarely on the organizations [parties]. Let the organizations be held strictly accountable for the endorsements. After the appointment is made the appointee ought to fit the job, so that the appointing power can rest assured that the work entrusted to him will be done right.

Talents & science are sufficient motives with me in appointments to which they are fitted.

I shall at all times be ready to recognize the paramount claims of the soldiers of the nation in the disposition of public trusts [patronage].

In former days all appointments to the bureaucracy were made by the political party in power. When that party was defeated, all the bureaucrats in office were immediately thrown out and their places were filled by faithful heelers of the victorious party. It was not a very noble system. It was not conducive to efficient governmental administration…. It did have certain virtues, however. It prevented anyone from becoming a bureaucrat for life and so losing completely the point of view of the man on the street. It also permitted the elected officials to reward their political workers by changing, instead of increasing, the bureaucracy.

On top of this it is now considered acceptable - indeed, almost compulsory - for incoming governments to politicize the upper reaches of the public service to such an extent that they have almost become subsidiaries of the governing party.

The civil list is so large that a personal knowledge of any large number of the applicants is impossible. The President must rely upon the representations of others, and these are often made inconsiderately and without any just sense of responsibility.

Before I was elected President I thought the chief pleasure of it would be to give honors and offices to old friends. But you know you can't do that when you're President of the United States; you have to get the best men.