Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Public office should serve the nation, not private interests or parties.
In plain terms
Public jobs are for public good.
What can you take from it?
Serve the country, not yourself.

Where it applies

  • elections
  • appointments
  • policy making

Putting it to work

  • prioritize national interest
  • avoid corruption

Questions to consider

  • How do we ensure officials serve the public?
  • What motivates public servants?

Another view

Individuals often seek power for personal gain.

More from John C. Calhoun

  1. Protection and patriotism are reciprocal.

    Permalink to quote #2
  2. A power has risen up in the government greater than the people themselves, consisting of many and various and powerful interests, combined into one mass, and h…

    Permalink to quote #4
  3. The Government of the absolute majority instead of the Government of the people is but the Government of the strongest interests; and when not efficiently chec…

    Permalink to quote #1

Related quotes

  1. Public officers are the servants and agents of the people, to execute the laws which the people have made.

    Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland quote #2
  2. I feel as if it were time for me to write to someone who will believe what I write. I have been for some time in the atmosphere of certain success, so that I h…

    Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland quote #3
  3. Nothing could be a more serious violation of public trust than to consciously make a war based on false claims.

    Wesley ClarkWesley Clark quote #4