Public officers are the servants and agents of the people, to execute the laws which the people have made.
Grover ClevelandRead
He who takes the oath today to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States only assumes the solemn obligation which every patriotic citizen . . . should share with him. . . . Your every voter, as surely as your Chief Magistrate, under the same high sanction, though in a different sphere, exercises a public trust.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the shared responsibility of citizens to uphold the Constitution and contribute to the well-being of democracy.
Grover Cleveland’s quote draws attention to the collective duty of all citizens, not just elected officials, to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. It highlights that every voter holds a public trust and responsibility to ensure the proper functioning of democracy, suggesting that patriotism is a shared endeavor requiring active participation and commitment from all members of society.
Themes
ConstitutionCitizenshipDutyPatriotismDemocracyPublic Trust
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech rallying citizens to vote during an election cycle.
More from Grover Cleveland
All quotes →Unswerving loyalty to duty, constant devotion to truth, and a clear conscience will overcome every discouragement and surely lead the way to usefulness and high achievement.
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Though the people support the government; the government should not support the people.
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Your every voter, as surely as your chief magistrate, exercises a public trust.
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It is the responsibility of the citizens to support their government. It is not the responsibility of the government to support its citizens.
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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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