Dysfunctional Government Quotes

Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.

The age of virtuous politics is past.

Everywhere I go - from Main Street to Wall Street - people ask, 'What's happened to our political system? Why can't Washington folks work together?'

Congress has been reformed so much that it can't get anything done.

We are strong country with weak leadership.

A healthy degree of party unity among Democrats and Republicans has deteriorated into bitter partisan warfare.

In our political system it’s easier to block action than to act.

If you rely on political factions to promote men to office, the people will work to develop instrumental relationships and will not seek to be useful with regard to the law. Thus, a ruler who mistakes reputation for ability when assigning offices will see his state fall into disorder.

Here's what I have to say: Obama is a disaster, and Washington politicians are worthless.

The foundation of all government is the trust reposed by the people in their governors. At present that confidence is entirely extinguished. Complaints are universal and all the complaints fall upon the Prince .… The nation sees that the Prince did not make proper use of the power given to him. Those persons who almost brought down the state are still in office; they and their allies are well received by the Prince, some continue in the same improper manner as in the days of the earlier anarchy.

Has Washington become so dysfunctional that even when we all agree on something, we can’t get it done?

Party and ideology routinely trump institutional interests and responsibilities. Regular order - the set of rules, norms and traditions designed to ensure a fair and transparent process - was the first casualty. The results: No serious deliberation. No meaningful oversight of the executive. A culture of corruption.

I'm tired of divided government. It doesn't work very well.

I think it's a time to be sad about what's been done to the United States Senate, the greatest deliberative body in the world.

The problem we've got now in Washington is that the goals are completely the opposite from each other.

… the partisan spirit will lead astray decency, reason and justice; and these Estates-General for which we have yearned for so long will only be reunited to spread discord.

The deterioration of a government begins almost always by the decay of its principles.

Washington has become a place where good ideas come to die.

In Washington, compromise has become a dirty word.

There are times where the dysfunction in the Senate just goes too far.

Congress has lost its capacity to manage itself.

Gingrich was a far more volatile and aggressive individual than Boehner, but the institutional norms of self-restraint, and perhaps even self-interest, have broken down under the pressure of an increasingly abnormal Republican Party.

The government they devised was defective from the start.

Karnataka was known for its good governance. After the BJP came to power, they laid the foundation for bad administration.

We are angry about paying the highest income taxes and property taxes in the nation and getting less and less for it. We are angry about our incompetent, dysfunctional government that pays no attention to the desires of the people. We are angry about the cesspool of corruption and conflicts of interests and self-dealing that is Albany.