Ronald Reagan Quotes

We don’t trust government, but we need government….Government didn’t land here from Mars. We elected them.

I will fight hard for my constituents in Congress as I have done in the state Senate.

I wanted to be an MP who was normal. I believe in politics, I'm a proud parliamentarian, and I want people to want parliamentarians again.

I think we need politicians; we need people who want to serve.

I enjoyed my stay in the Congress. Most people do not. And too many people who have been elected really don't understand the nature of government.

Part of the problem you have is that you don't have a dialogue between elected officials and their constituents. They've built these barricades, these barriers around themselves and tried to avoid interaction with their constituents.

Congress is full of good, decent, smart people who have devoted their lives to public service.

I happened to have the privilege of serving in Congress. It will be 16 years at the end of this term. And I think I made a difference here on important issues.

Now, a lot of people have given up on government. And if you're one of those people, I would ask that you reconsider, because things are changing. Politics is not changing; government is changing.

I believe the relationship you have with your government is not so different to a love relationship.

I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose interests in good government is less.

Many people leave government disillusioned about its ability to achieve change and cynical about politicians. I left with rather opposite lessons.

The people want government that works for them at every level.

I almost forgot what it's like to be proud of my government.

Our constituents did not send us to Washington to shut down the government. They sent us here to make it more accountable.

The respect of the American people for the Congress has been increased. They can see the Congress as a vigilant Congress.

I really hate I being a congressman because all it is is constituent service.

We are hiring too many people who are called politicians, and we are not holding them accountable…. You do not hire someone and not tell them what to do. Make a trip to Washington and see that they are doing what you want them to do.

It is necessary to have lived in this insulator which is called the national assembly, in order to perceive how the men who are the most completely ignorant of the state of the country are almost always the ones who represent it.

With the consent of the people, I will seek to continue service in Congress for the well-being of our state and our nation.

In every country, politics is considered to be a waste of time.

In the mother of parliaments, it is not too much to ask that our politicians stand up for all our best interests.

If everybody just stops caring about politics, we're going to lose the reins on our government.

I think anyone who serves in public office should have a little bit of contempt for government in their heart.

One of the reasons the American public holds unelected government officials in such low esteem is that they are never held accountable for their failures.