Politics is an activity that is related to the governance of a country. It involves making decisions, policies, and government actions. Politics ideally serve the public good, but conflicts and debates between individuals or parties arise due to the pursuit of power, influence, and wealth. May these quotes about politics and power offer you valuable insights to help you better understand the ideal role of politics in society and the reality of what it becomes.
1. “Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain
2. “The greatest power is not money power, but political power.” – Walter Annenberg
3. “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” – Plato
4. “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.” – Ernest Benn
5. “For us democracy is a question of human dignity. And human dignity is political freedom.” – Olof Palme
6. “We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.” – Aesop
7. “In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
8. “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” – George Orwell
9. “Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.” – Mao Zedong
10. “The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.” – Plato
11. “We shall never change our political leaders until we change the people who elect them.” – Mark Skousen
12. “Politics: A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.” – Ambrose Bierce
13. “Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving taxicabs and cutting hair.” – George Burns
14. “Knowledge is not a guarantee of good political behavior, but ignorance is a virtual guarantee of bad behavior.” – Martha Nussbaum
15. “The flood of money that gushes into politics today is a pollution of democracy.” – Theodore White
16. “If you want to rebel, rebel from inside the system. That's much more powerful than rebelling outside the system.” – Marie Lu
17. “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” – Mao Zedong
18. “We live in a world in which politics has replaced philosophy.” – Martin L. Gross
19. “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy
20. “No matter what political reasons are given for war, the underlying reason is always economic.” – A. J. P. Taylor
21. “It is not in the nature of politics that the best men should be elected. The best men do not want to govern their fellowmen.” – George MacDonald
22. “Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely, absolute power attracts the corruptible.” – Frank Herbert
23. “When people learn no tools of judgment and merely follow their hopes, the seeds of political manipulation are sown.” – Stephen Jay Gould
24. “We would all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate.” – Kin Hubbard
25. “He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.” – George Bernard Shaw
26. “The political system is broken, the economy is broken and so is society. That is why people are so depressed about the state of our country.” – David Cameron
27. “Politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.” – Charles de Gaulle
28. “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.” – Pericles
29. “Concentration of wealth yields concentration of political power. And concentration of political power gives rise to legislation that increases and accelerates the cycle.” – Noam Chomsky
30. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” – Abraham Lincoln
More Politicians and Politics Quotes and Sayings
31. “For the powerful, crimes are those that others commit.” – Noam Chomsky
32. “Treating people fairly and with civility is not a bad thing. It would be good for our country if political leaders actually took that to heart.” – Jeb Bush
33. “What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents.” – Robert Kennedy
34. “As government expands, liberty contracts.” – Ronald Reagan
35. “Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred.” – Jacques Barzun
36. “Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.” – Henry Kissinger
37. “Society is like a stew. If you don't stir it up every once in a while then a layer of scum floats to the top.” – Edward Abbey
38. “No matter where you stand politically, even if you're unsure of what your political ideology is. It is important to take part in the process of shaping our government.” – Brad Henry
39. “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” – John Quincy Adams
40. “In politics, we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state. When we are ill, we do not ask for the most handsome physician or the most eloquent one.” – Plato
41. “Money is power, and in that government which pays all the public officers of the states will all political power be substantially concentrated.” – Andrew Jackson
42. “Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.” – Mark Twain
43. “Neither political party is clean when it comes to tactics that divide our people.” – Roy Barnes
44. “Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.” – Richard Armour
45. “A fool and his money are soon elected.” – Will Rogers
46. “One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are.” – Cal Thomas
47. “It is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political affairs.” – Albert Einstein
48. “There are no personal sympathies in politics.” – Margaret Thatcher
49. “Ideas are great arrows, but there has to be a bow. And politics is the bow of idealism.” – Bill Moyers
50. “Great political questions stir the deepest nature of one-half the nation, but they pass far above and over the heads of the other half.” – Wendell Phillips
51. “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” – Plato
52. “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.” – Niccolò Machiavelli
53. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
54. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
55. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” – Lord Acton
56. “A government of laws, and not of men.” – John Adams
57. “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” – George Jean Nathan
58. “The most important political office is that of the private citizen.” – Louis D. Brandeis
59. “Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
60. “Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
61. “With malice toward none, with charity for all, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.” – Abraham Lincoln
Share these Politics is Politics Quotes with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.
2. “The greatest power is not money power, but political power.” – Walter Annenberg
3. “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” – Plato
4. “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.” – Ernest Benn
5. “For us democracy is a question of human dignity. And human dignity is political freedom.” – Olof Palme
6. “We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.” – Aesop
7. “In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
8. “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” – George Orwell
9. “Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.” – Mao Zedong
11. “We shall never change our political leaders until we change the people who elect them.” – Mark Skousen
12. “Politics: A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.” – Ambrose Bierce
13. “Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving taxicabs and cutting hair.” – George Burns
14. “Knowledge is not a guarantee of good political behavior, but ignorance is a virtual guarantee of bad behavior.” – Martha Nussbaum
16. “If you want to rebel, rebel from inside the system. That's much more powerful than rebelling outside the system.” – Marie Lu
17. “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” – Mao Zedong
18. “We live in a world in which politics has replaced philosophy.” – Martin L. Gross
19. “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy
21. “It is not in the nature of politics that the best men should be elected. The best men do not want to govern their fellowmen.” – George MacDonald
22. “Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely, absolute power attracts the corruptible.” – Frank Herbert
23. “When people learn no tools of judgment and merely follow their hopes, the seeds of political manipulation are sown.” – Stephen Jay Gould
24. “We would all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate.” – Kin Hubbard
26. “The political system is broken, the economy is broken and so is society. That is why people are so depressed about the state of our country.” – David Cameron
27. “Politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.” – Charles de Gaulle
28. “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.” – Pericles
29. “Concentration of wealth yields concentration of political power. And concentration of political power gives rise to legislation that increases and accelerates the cycle.” – Noam Chomsky
30. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” – Abraham Lincoln
More Politicians and Politics Quotes and Sayings
31. “For the powerful, crimes are those that others commit.” – Noam Chomsky
32. “Treating people fairly and with civility is not a bad thing. It would be good for our country if political leaders actually took that to heart.” – Jeb Bush
33. “What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents.” – Robert Kennedy
34. “As government expands, liberty contracts.” – Ronald Reagan
35. “Political correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred.” – Jacques Barzun
36. “Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.” – Henry Kissinger
37. “Society is like a stew. If you don't stir it up every once in a while then a layer of scum floats to the top.” – Edward Abbey
38. “No matter where you stand politically, even if you're unsure of what your political ideology is. It is important to take part in the process of shaping our government.” – Brad Henry
39. “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” – John Quincy Adams
40. “In politics, we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state. When we are ill, we do not ask for the most handsome physician or the most eloquent one.” – Plato
41. “Money is power, and in that government which pays all the public officers of the states will all political power be substantially concentrated.” – Andrew Jackson
42. “Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.” – Mark Twain
43. “Neither political party is clean when it comes to tactics that divide our people.” – Roy Barnes
44. “Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.” – Richard Armour
45. “A fool and his money are soon elected.” – Will Rogers
46. “One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are.” – Cal Thomas
47. “It is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political affairs.” – Albert Einstein
48. “There are no personal sympathies in politics.” – Margaret Thatcher
49. “Ideas are great arrows, but there has to be a bow. And politics is the bow of idealism.” – Bill Moyers
50. “Great political questions stir the deepest nature of one-half the nation, but they pass far above and over the heads of the other half.” – Wendell Phillips
51. “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” – Plato
52. “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.” – Niccolò Machiavelli
53. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
54. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
55. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” – Lord Acton
56. “A government of laws, and not of men.” – John Adams
57. “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” – George Jean Nathan
58. “The most important political office is that of the private citizen.” – Louis D. Brandeis
59. “Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
60. “Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
61. “With malice toward none, with charity for all, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.” – Abraham Lincoln
Share these Politics is Politics Quotes with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.