Corruption Quote by George Washington
![“The common and continual mischief's [sic] of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and the duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill founded…” quote by George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a6d/george-washington-257_corruption_the-common-and-continual-mischief-s-sic_273768.jpg)
““The common and continual mischief's [sic] of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and the duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passion.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Farewell Address, George Washington, 1796
Party factionalism distracts governance, fuels jealousy, and invites foreign meddling, weakening public administration.
In simple terms: Political factions harm governance and invite corruption.
Key Takeaway
Guard against partisan excess.
Themes
politics
governance
corruption
social cohesion
Mood
cautious
concerned
Type
political
warning
When to use this quote
- legislative meetings
- community organizing
- election campaigns
- policy debates
Key Concepts
factionalism
public administration
foreign influence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can citizens promote unity without suppressing dissent?
- What safeguards protect institutions from factional damage?
A Different Perspective
Party passion can also mobilize reform movements.
![“[The spirit of party] serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another.” quote by George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b35/george-washington-257_administration_the-spirit-of-party-serves-always-to-dis_2331687.jpg)
![“[The spirit of party] opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions.” quote by George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe9/george-washington-257_access_the-spirit-of-party-opens-the-door-to-fo_3236018.jpg)
![“George Washington was unambiguous in his distrust of manipulation by political parties, writing that it: “agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity…[and] opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the…” quote by Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/756/joseph-befumo-7176_corruption_george-washington-was-unambiguous-in-his_1609208.jpg)
![“Corruption could lead to the collapse of the Party [Communist Party of China] and the downfall of the state [People's Republic of China].” quote by Xi Jinping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7b8/xi-jinping-16533_china_corruption-could-lead-to-the-collapse-of_9525.jpg)
