--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The civil servant is primarily the master…" description: "\"The civil servant is primarily the master of the short-term solution.\" — Indira Gandhi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bf/indira-gandhi-1113_bureaucracy_the-civil-servant-is-primarily-the-maste_2433049.jpg" --- # The civil servant is primarily the master of the… ![“The civil servant is primarily the master of the short-term solution.” quote by Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bf/indira-gandhi-1113_bureaucracy_the-civil-servant-is-primarily-the-maste_2433049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bf/indira-gandhi-1113_bureaucracy_the-civil-servant-is-primarily-the-maste_2433049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bf/indira-gandhi-1113_bureaucracy_the-civil-servant-is-primarily-the-maste_2433049.jpg) > “The civil servant is primarily the master of the short-term solution.” [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Civil servants tend to focus on short‑term fixes rather than lasting solutions. **In simple terms:** Officials often choose quick fixes over lasting change. Key Takeaway Prioritize long‑term planning. Themes bureaucracy policy short‑termism Mood critical thoughtful Type political analytical When to use this quote - urban planning - healthcare reform Key Concepts governance public administration Questions to Reflect On - What incentives encourage lasting solutions? - How can short‑term needs be balanced? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bureaucracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bureaucracy/) [Civil servants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-servants/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) [Short term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-term/) ## Related quotes > [Give a civil servant a good case and he'll wreck it with clichés, bad punctuation, double negatives, and convoluted apology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-clark/give-a-civil-servant-a-good-case-and-he-ll-wreck-it-with-clich-s-bad/) [Alan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-clark/) > [I like the idea of taking what is essentially a boring, officious job and turning it into something that is a fantasy, to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-ritchie/i-like-the-idea-of-taking-what-is-essentially-a-boring-officious-job/) [Guy Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-ritchie/) > [A civil servant is sometimes like a broken cannon - it won't work and you can't fire it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/a-civil-servant-is-sometimes-like-a-broken-cannon-it-won-t-work-and/) [George S. 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All orders and directives to the public are worded in such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikes/there-are-various-centuries-old-true-british-traditions-to-secure/) [George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikes/) > [There are very many characteristics which go into making a model civil servant. Prominent among them are probity, industry, good sense, good habits, good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-a-arthur/there-are-very-many-characteristics-which-go-into-making-a-model/) [Chester A. Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-a-arthur/) > [In a mature society, 'civil servant' is semantically equal to 'civil master.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/in-a-mature-society-civil-servant-is-semantically-equal-to-civil/) [Robert A. 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If you're simply interested in implementing other people's policies, then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/i-can-t-see-the-point-in-being-in-politics-if-you-re-not-yourself-if/) [Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/) > [I mean, really, compared to a senior civil servant, I'm very modestly paid!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/i-mean-really-compared-to-a-senior-civil-servant-i-m-very-modestly/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [My dad was a civil servant, and my mum was a secretary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-davis/my-dad-was-a-civil-servant-and-my-mum-was-a-secretary/) [Julia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-davis/) > [If every civil servant does his job perfectly, then I am sure the world will be a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagapathi-babu/if-every-civil-servant-does-his-job-perfectly-then-i-am-sure-the/) [Jagapathi Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagapathi-babu/) ## More by Indira Gandhi > [I don't see why we and the Chinese should have to be enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-see-why-we-and-the-chinese-should-have-to-be-enemies/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I'm not ambitious. Not a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-m-not-ambitious-not-a-bit/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [In all societies that have applied a form of socialism, a certain degree of social economic equality has been achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/in-all-societies-that-have-applied-a-form-of-socialism-a-certain/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I cannot understand how anyone can be an Indian and not be proud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-cannot-understand-how-anyone-can-be-an-indian-and-not-be-proud/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Even today to be civilised is held to be synonymous with being westernised. Advanced countries devote large resources to formulating and spreading ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/even-today-to-be-civilised-is-held-to-be-synonymous-with-being/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [To me the function of politics is to make possible the desirable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/to-me-the-function-of-politics-is-to-make-possible-the-desirable/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [To become capable, one must have faith in oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/to-become-capable-one-must-have-faith-in-oneself/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [If we offer something to Bangladesh, it's obvious that Bangladesh is offering something to us. And why shouldn't Bangladesh be able to keep its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/if-we-offer-something-to-bangladesh-it-s-obvious-that-bangladesh-is/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [The India I want, I'll never tire of repeating, is a more just and less poor India, one entirely free of foreign influences. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/the-india-i-want-i-ll-never-tire-of-repeating-is-a-more-just-and-less/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Satisfied is a word I use only in reference to my country, and I'll never be satisfied for my country. For this reasons I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/satisfied-is-a-word-i-use-only-in-reference-to-my-country-and-i-ll/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I always wanted to have children - if it had been up to me, I would have had eleven. It was my husband who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-always-wanted-to-have-children-if-it-had-been-up-to-me-i-would-have/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Defeats are always pitiful. Victories are always last resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/defeats-are-always-pitiful-victories-are-always-last-resources/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [To be liberated, woman must feel free to be herself, not in rivalry to man but in the context of her own capacity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/to-be-liberated-woman-must-feel-free-to-be-herself-not-in-rivalry-to/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [We do not wish to impoverish the environment any further, and yet we cannot for a moment forget the grim poverty of large numbers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/we-do-not-wish-to-impoverish-the-environment-any-further-and-yet-we/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) [Explore all 290 Indira Gandhi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) ## More Bureaucracy quotes > [ When the fountains of government \[borrowing\] abundance began to dry up, when through lack of funds and the impossibility of negotiating fresh loans the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-t-flynn/when-the-fountains-of-government-borrowing-abundance-began-to-dry-up/) [John T. 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It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-believe-that-government-should-confine-itself-to-the-public-realm/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I think Kafka was right when he said that for a modern, secular, nonreligious man, state bureaucracy is the only remaining contact with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/i-think-kafka-was-right-when-he-said-that-for-a-modern-secular/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I'm utterly unsuited for bureaucracy. I don't know my passwords to anything. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-torres/if-there-s-one-thing-you-should-know-about-me-it-s-that-i-m-utterly/) [Julio Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-torres/) > [ \[The Utopia of Rules\] should offer a challenge to us all. Should we just accept this bureaucracy as inevitable? Or is there a way… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-tett/the-utopia-of-rules-should-offer-a-challenge-to-us-all-should-we-just/) [Gillian Tett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-tett/) > [“Catholics form a majority in Chile, although there are more and more Evangelicals and Pentacostals who irritate everyone because they have a direct understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/catholics-form-a-majority-in-chile-although-there-are-more-and-more/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“Plato argued that good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will always find a way around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-howard/plato-argued-that-good-people-do-not-need-laws-to-tell-them-to-act/) [Philip K. 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