The only thing worse than a knee-jerk liberal is a knee-pad conservative.
Abbey, Edward Paul

Practical politics consists in ignoring facts
Adams, Henry Brooks

I must study politics and war, that my sons may have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, and naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.
Adams, President John Quincy

While all other sciences have advanced, that of government is at a standstill - little better understood, little better practiced now than three or four thousand years ago
Adams, President John Quincy

Fear is the foundation of most governments
Adams, President John Quincy

I very much dislike doctrinaire liberals -- they want to own your minds. And I don't like reactionary conservatives. I like to face issues in terms of conditions and not in terms of someone's inborn political philosophy
Albert, Carl Bert

I believe there's something out there watching over us. Unfortunately, it's the government
Allen, Woody

Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other.
Ameringer, Oscar

Under conditions of tyranny it is far easier to act than to think
Arendt, Hannah

Politics: the art of keeping as many balls as possible up in the air at one time - while protecting your own
Attlesey, Sam

There is no horror, no cruelty, sacrilege, or perjury, no imposture, no infamous transaction, no cynical robbery, no bold plunder or shabby betrayal that has not been or is not daily being perpetrated by the representatives of the states, under no other pretext than those elastic words, so convenient and yet so terrible: "for reasons of state."
Bakunin, Mikhail

When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called "the People's Stick."
Bakunin, Mikhail

You will find in politics that you are much exposed to the attribution of false motive. Never complain and never explain
Baldwin, Stanley

More history is made by secret handshakes than by battles, bills and proclamations
Barth, John

I have never regarded politics as the arena of morals. It is the arena of interests.
Bevan, Aneurin

I am not politically incorrect. I am politically challenged.
Bloom, Matt

Democracy is an abuse of statistics.
Borges, Jorge Luis

Our government is the potent, omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example.
Brandeis, Justice Louis D

The modern definition of 'racist' is 'someone who is winning an argument with a liberal'
Brimelow, Peter

It is a general popular error to suppose the loudest complainers for the public to be the most anxious for its welfare
Burke, Edmund

I'll be glad to reply to or dodge your questions, depending on what I think will help our election most
Bush, President George W

When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.
Camara, Helder

The world of politics is always twenty years behind the world of thought.
Chapman, John Jay

This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.
Churchill, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer

An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last
Churchill, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer