Quotes about "Politics & Government"

I have always been very open about my respect for public service. ”

I'm very, very focused on not only creating world class schools at scale, but changing the public policy in this country that every day prevents children from getting access to the American dream. ”

I thought I was leaving elected office and politics in order to focus on schooling, but as you know, schooling turns out to be frankly even more political than politics. ”

Nigeria and Pakistan are two countries that have had a lot of trouble with polio. And part of the reason is that there's a lot of political unrest, and people really distrust what the government is doing. That has an effect on people's health, and it has an effect on the health of children. ”

The whole idea of a democracy is that we ourselves, the people, are supposed to make a path of our politics, and it is we who with our feet and our vote and our labors and our vigilance are supposed to shape our country. ”

Ronald Reagan, whatever his pros and cons were, was a public servant in the end. ”

I have criticisms of Ronald Reagan, but he lives in another universe from the kind of political theater that is represented by people, like Sarah Palin, who aren't really public servants. ”

The thing that happens is that politicians run on tough-on-crime rhetoric. You appeal to the public and say, 'Let's put more money into taller fences, tougher laws, tougher sentencing, handcuffs,' and where does that money come from? Well, immediately, it comes out of all the money needed for corrections. ”

The prison industrial complex is perhaps, at least domestically, the most striking example of us putting profit before people. It all stems from one basic misunderstanding: that the public good can be shepherded by private interests. ”

The artist can be above political parties, he can belong in a political party, he can act in politics. ”