John Adams Quotes

Public business … must always be done by somebody…. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not.

When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property.

The trust that goes with public service is a heavy burden on those who would lead us.

A dominion then, whose well-being depends on any man's good faith, and whose affairs cannot be properly administered, unless those who are engaged in them will act honestly, will be very unstable. On the contrary, to insure its permanence, its public affairs should be so ordered, that those who administer them, whether guided by reason or passion, cannot be led to act treacherously or basely.

The best citizens were supposed to desire honest men in office, men who would not take bribes, men who would appoint high-minded men as their subordinates, men who would look after the public interest, see that public charities were well supported.

I believe in professionalism, less in politicians.

If you accept the privilege of public service, you had better understand the responsibilities of public service.

The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest.

I am the only public servant and the only Mexican President ever who has made his finances public from before, during, and after public service.

Public business must always be done by somebody. It will be done by somebody or other. If wise man decline, others will not; if honest man refuse it, others will not.

Public life is regarded as the crown of a career, and to young men it is the worthiest ambition. Politics is still the greatest and the most honorable adventure.

Two truths are all too often overshadowed in today's political discourse: Public service is a most honorable pursuit, and so is bipartisanship.

This idea that you can't be an honest man and a Washington politician is a myth, a crock made up by sellouts and careerist hacks who don't stand for anything and are impatient with people who do. It's possible to do this job with honor and dignity.

No public man can be just a little crooked.

There are, believe it or not, good politicians.

Politics is about accountability, it is about leadership, it is about courage.

We want to bring back to Washington people who are more interested in public service than they are in private gain.

Government is a trust, and the officers of the government are trustees; and both the trust and trustees are created for the benefit of the public.

Those who are selected for a limited time to manage public affairs are still of the people, and may do much by their example to encourage, consistently with the dignity of their official functions, that plain way of life which among their fellow-citizens aids integrity and promotes thrift and prosperity.

Public officers are the trustees of the people.

Bring back that better era of the republic in which, when men consecrated themselves to the public service, they utterly abnegated all selfish purposes.

While not all politicians are statesmen, all statesmen are politicians.

You must come forth to any Publick Service, whereof you may be capable, when you are called unto it.

The job of the politician isn’t to tell you what you want to hear, but to tell you what needs to be done.

The success of an elected official is doing what everyone knows needs to be done.