Public officers are the servants and agents of the people, to execute the laws which the people have made.
Grover ClevelandRead
Officeholders are the agents of the people, not their masters. Not only is their time and labor due to the government, but they should scrupulously avoid in their political action, as well as in the discharge of their official duty, offending by a display of obtrusive partisanship their neighbors who have relations with them as public officials.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Public officials should serve the people rather than dominate them, maintaining impartiality in their duties.
This quote emphasizes that those in positions of authority, such as government officials, are meant to act as representatives of the people who elected them, rather than exercising control over them. It insists on the importance of neutrality and fairness in government affairs, advising officials to avoid showing blatant favoritism that could alienate or offend constituents, highlighting the ethical responsibility of public servants towards their community.
Themes
Public OfficialsServiceImpartialityGovernmentPolitics
In practice
Example use cases
In a political speech advocating for transparency, this quote illustrates the responsibility of elected officials.
More from Grover Cleveland
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Your every voter, as surely as your chief magistrate, exercises a public trust.
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Once the coffers of the federal government are opened to the public, there will be no shutting them again.
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