“Although I held public office for a total of sixteen years, I also thought of myself as a citizen-politician, not a career one.”

— Ronald Reagan

Address to the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce (10 July 1991)
Post-presidency (1989–2004)
Context: Although I held public office for a total of sixteen years, I also thought of myself as a citizen-politician, not a career one. Every now and then when I was in government, I would remind my associates that "When we start thinking of government as 'us' instead of 'them,' we've been here too long." By that I mean that elected officeholders need to retain a certain skepticism about the perfectibility of government.

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Ronald Reagan 264

American politician, 40th president of the United States (i… 1911–2004

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