Lincoln Steffens Quotes

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

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.

You need to have good people: honourable, capable, committed in politics, standing in public office. It's not a guarantee, but it's the ideal we have to aim for.

I don't claim any moral or ethical high ground, but I also have chosen not to run for public office. Shouldn't there be a higher standard of conduct for public officials?

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

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.

Most public officials work hard to serve the public good and abide by Oregon's ethics laws.

We just need leaders in Congress who are honest with the American people.

If we promise as public officials, we must deliver. If we as public officials propose, we must produce.

Today, more than ever, citizens demand with good reason that moral and ethical principles be upheld and that exemplariness preside over our public life. And the king, as the head of state, must not only be an example but also a servant to that just and legitimate demand of the citizens.

There are, believe it or not, good politicians.

If governments did not mislead their citizens so often, there would be less need for secrecy, and if leaders knew they could not rely on keeping the public in the dark about what they are doing, they would have a powerful incentive to behave better.

Public officers are the trustees of the people.

Political leaders, elected by the public and vested with the power to shape public life, owe it to citizens to set better standards regarding their use of money, and their conduct, both in and out of office.

An honest man in politics shines more there than he would elsewhere.

Some States just have a good political culture. It’s not all greed driven.

When you are in the public eye, in the name of public service, you have to understand that the more people know about you, and the more people say they want to support you, the more you have to work even harder to uphold that trust.

I represent my community, and I represent my people. And I've got to be honest if something seems questionable.

We need some honesty and sincerity instead of corrupt government in Washington.

I am committed to making Georgia a model for open and honest government.

Dishonesty in government is the business of every citizen. It is not enough to do your own job. There's no particular virtue in that. Democracy isn't a gift. It's a responsibility.

As a citizen of this country, I've got to be honest to the people of South Africa.

We have the incredible privilege of serving in the highest offices in the state. We must prove ourselves worthy of our fellow citizens' faith. We must be trusted to always place the public's good above our own and to always choose fairness over favoritism.

A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.

We just ask the agency to make reasonable and honest decisions, and the public deserves no less.