John W. Gardner Quotes

When the people become involved in their government, government becomes more accountable, and our society is stronger, more compassionate, and better prepared for the challenges of the future.

Government is at its worst when you have apathy from its citizens.

Freedom isn't free. It shouldn't be a bragging point that 'Oh, I don't get involved in politics,' as if that makes someone cleaner. No, that makes you derelict of duty in a republic. Liars and panderers in government would have a much harder time of it if so many people didn't insist on their right to remain ignorant and blindly agreeable.

I had a lot of friends in high school who said, 'Louie, I don't care what the government does as long as they leave me alone.' Well, guess what, when you don't care what the government does, it does not leave you alone.

The value of government to the people it serves is in direct relationship to the interest citizens themselves display in the affairs of state.

No man should ever lose sleep over public affairs.

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.

If we all say the same thing, then I think the government has to listen. But because no one is saying it, I become singled out, even though what I'm saying is common sense. It's very essential values that we all have to protect. But in Chinese society, people are giving up on protecting these values.

We're prepared to place our trust in the people to reshape the government. Our liberal friends place their trust in the government to reshape the people.

We don’t even realize that we do not know who is running our country.

Soaring rhetoric will not restore the American people's confidence in their government.

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

There's a lack of ambition in politics in terms of what we expect from the government, what it means to have a state.

The trouble with the social-democratic state is that, when government does too much, nobody else does much of anything.

The punishment which the wise suffer who refuse to take part in the government, is to live under the government of worse men.

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

I think most people realize that our problems are our government, not me and you individually, except that we can - must have some sort of responsibility, because they're in there and they were elected, so we have to defend ourselves on those lines.

Politicians are there to try to deal with stuff, but sometimes it's both fortunate and unfortunate that people like us have more... not involvement, but more power in the stuff that we say.

The government must give men and women without power a real say over what happens to them, and the means of engaging in a participative, invigorated and living democracy.

You're a sovereign as a citizen. If you're not involved in your government, you're not doing your job. In the long run that's very bad for the Republic.

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.

What's wrong is that we are not participating to make this the type of government it needs to be.

Most Americans aren't the sort of citizens the Founding Fathers expected; they are contented serfs. Far from being active critics of government, they assume that its might makes it right.

The cooperation of government at its different levels is important and can only be achieved as long as the people of Chicago are directly involved in our efforts and supportive of our goals.

We can do better, and we must hold the politicians accountable to do better.