--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A government is the only known vessel…" description: "\"A government is the only known vessel that leaks from the top.\" — James Reston" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a6/james-reston-37064_government_a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-th_2874461.png" --- # A government is the only known vessel that leaks from the… ![“A government is the only known vessel that leaks from the top.” quote by James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a6/james-reston-37064_government_a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-th_2874461.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a6/james-reston-37064_government_a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-th_2874461.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a6/james-reston-37064_government_a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-th_2874461.png) > “A government is the only known vessel that leaks from the top.” [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Governments inevitably reveal corruption from the top down, exposing systemic flaws. **In simple terms:** Power leaks from the top. Key Takeaway Monitor leadership for integrity. Themes politics corruption leadership Mood critical alert Type political analytical When to use this quote - elections - policy analysis - whistleblowing - media scrutiny Key Concepts ethics public administration Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate top‑down leaks? - How can citizens demand transparency? A Different Perspective Complex systems may hide deeper issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-known-978895/) [Known Vessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known-vessel-677826/) [Leaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaks/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Vessel Leaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vessel-leaks-647595/) ## Related quotes > [The ship of state is the only known vessel that leaks from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/the-ship-of-state-is-the-only-known-vessel-that-leaks-from-the-top/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [A government is the only vessel that leaks from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/a-government-is-the-only-vessel-that-leaks-from-the-top/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [The federal government has never been known for its sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/the-federal-government-has-never-been-known-for-its-sense-of-humor/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“It is right that the influence of the Government should be known in every humble home as the guardian of frugal comfort and content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/it-is-right-that-the-influence-of-the-government-should-be-known-in/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [Good government is known from bad government by this infallible test: that under the former the labouring people are well fed and well clothed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/good-government-is-known-from-bad-government-by-this-infallible-test/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [The U.S. government has known since the early 1990s about Soviet-era smallpox weapons, and collected circumstantial evidence of programs elsewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/the-u-s-government-has-known-since-the-early-1990s-about-soviet-era/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [In this day and age of texts, Twitter, and Facebook, we are very rarely surprised by anything anymore - something always leaks out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-goreski/in-this-day-and-age-of-texts-twitter-and-facebook-we-are-very-rarely/) [Brad Goreski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-goreski/) > [I don't welcome leaks. There's a reason why these programs are classified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-welcome-leaks-there-s-a-reason-why-these-programs-are/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Each petty hand Can steer a ship becalm'd; but he that will Govern and carry her to her ends, must know His tides, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/each-petty-hand-can-steer-a-ship-becalm-d-but-he-that-will-govern-and/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [We must have infinite faith in each other. If we have not, we must never let it leak out that we have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-must-have-infinite-faith-in-each-other-if-we-have-not-we-must/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm focused on leaks that hurt the institution of the president and the president himself. I understand we have to leak things to reporters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/i-m-focused-on-leaks-that-hurt-the-institution-of-the-president-and/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [One little leak becomes a lake, Says the tiny voice in my earpiece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/one-little-leak-becomes-a-lake-says-the-tiny-voice-in-my-earpiece/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [You can't control it once you turn it into the label, so there's the expectation that it'll leak a week before the album comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/you-can-t-control-it-once-you-turn-it-into-the-label-so-there-s-the/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [Little leaks sink the ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/little-leaks-sink-the-ship/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/) [Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/) ## More by James Reston > [A government is the only vessel that leaks from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/a-government-is-the-only-vessel-that-leaks-from-the-top/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [The rising power of the United States in world affairs requires, not a more compliant press, but a relentless barrage of facts and criticism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/the-rising-power-of-the-united-states-in-world-affairs-requires-not-a/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [Europe has a press that stresses opinions; America a press, radio, and television that emphasize news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/europe-has-a-press-that-stresses-opinions-america-a-press-radio-and/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [If it's far away, it's news, but if it's close at home, it's sociology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/if-it-s-far-away-it-s-news-but-if-it-s-close-at-home-it-s-sociology/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [The ship of state is the only known vessel that leaks from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/the-ship-of-state-is-the-only-known-vessel-that-leaks-from-the-top/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [This is the very devilish thing about foreign affairs: they are foreign and will not always conform to our whim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/this-is-the-very-devilish-thing-about-foreign-affairs-they-are/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [In foreign policy you have to wait twenty-five years to see how it comes out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/in-foreign-policy-you-have-to-wait-twenty-five-years-to-see-how-it/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [In any war, the first casualty is common sense, and the second is free and open discussion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/in-any-war-the-first-casualty-is-common-sense-and-the-second-is-free/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [“In 1487 alone, two hundred heretics had-in one of the greatest euphemisms in the history of language-"relaxed," that is, burned at the stake. Dogs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/in-1487-alone-two-hundred-heretics-had-in-one-of-the-greatest/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [All politics are based on the indifference of the majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/all-politics-are-based-on-the-indifference-of-the-majority/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) > [Americans have always been able to handle austerity and even adversity. Prosperity is what is doing us in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/americans-have-always-been-able-to-handle-austerity-and-even/) [James Reston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) [Explore all 12 James Reston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/) ## More Government quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. 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Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Louisiana's spicy, colorful politics have saddled our state with a reputation for tolerating lax ethical standards in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/louisiana-s-spicy-colorful-politics-have-saddled-our-state-with-a/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [He is almost a statesman. He lies well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/he-is-almost-a-statesman-he-lies-well/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [We can't have a government that will collapse in three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/we-can-t-have-a-government-that-will-collapse-in-three-months/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Browse all 21,248 Government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A government is the only known vessel that leaks from the top.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Reston" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-that-leaks-from-the-top/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Government" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-that-leaks-from-the-top/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a6/james-reston-37064_government_a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-th_2874461.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a6/james-reston-37064_government_a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-th_2874461.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a6/james-reston-37064_government_a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-th_2874461.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A government is the only known vessel that leaks from the top.” — James Reston", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Reston", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-reston/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A government is the only known...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-that-leaks-from-the-top/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-reston/a-government-is-the-only-known-vessel-that-leaks-from-the-top/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```