--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What we've seen in government for so…" description: "\"What we've seen in government for so often is that people have been shady - about their roles, hiding things, not releasing things.\" — Sean Spicer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/sean-spicer-14532_government_what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-oft_881567.jpg" --- # What we've seen in government for so often is that people… ![“What we've seen in government for so often is that people have been shady - about their roles, hiding things, not releasing things.” quote by Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/sean-spicer-14532_government_what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-oft_881567.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/sean-spicer-14532_government_what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-oft_881567.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/sean-spicer-14532_government_what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-oft_881567.jpg) > “What we've seen in government for so often is that people have been shady - about their roles, hiding things, not releasing things.” [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government secrecy often hides accountability, leading to public distrust. **In simple terms:** Secrecy erodes trust. Key Takeaway Demand transparency. Themes politics ethics accountability Mood skeptical concerned Type critical analytical When to use this quote - public hearings - whistleblowing - media analysis - citizen activism - policy reform Key Concepts governance information theory Questions to Reflect On - How much secrecy is justified? - What mechanisms ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Some secrecy protects national security. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Hiding things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiding-things/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [Industry rule number four thousand and eighty, record company people are shady. So kids watch your back 'cause I think they smoke crack, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-tribe-called-quest/industry-rule-number-four-thousand-and-eighty-record-company-people/) [A Tribe Called Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-tribe-called-quest/) > [I've seen the government up close and personal, and for the most part, it's inefficient and hidebound, and it stifles creativity in any industry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-hickam/i-ve-seen-the-government-up-close-and-personal-and-for-the-most-part/) [Homer Hickam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-hickam/) > [I was born black in this country. Trust me, I've seen the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-griffin/i-was-born-black-in-this-country-trust-me-i-ve-seen-the-government/) [Eddie Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-griffin/) > [Societies exist under three forms sufficiently distinguishable. 1. Without government, as among our Indians. 2. Under governments wherein the will of every one has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/societies-exist-under-three-forms-sufficiently-distinguishable-1/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I have been in Congress for more than a half century. I have lived through times of fear and times of hope. Of despair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-byrd/i-have-been-in-congress-for-more-than-a-half-century-i-have-lived/) [Robert Byrd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-byrd/) > [I have rarely seen the government do anything that was effective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/i-have-rarely-seen-the-government-do-anything-that-was-effective/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [Ma is my biggest critic. When she cleans my cupboard she keeps nagging me as to why I have 20 shoes or why my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soha-ali-khan/ma-is-my-biggest-critic-when-she-cleans-my-cupboard-she-keeps-nagging/) [Soha Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soha-ali-khan/) > [“Do not fear the ghosts in this house; they are the least of your worries. Personally I find the noises they make reassuring. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/do-not-fear-the-ghosts-in-this-house-they-are-the-least-of-your/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [By hiding things from your partner, you allow small problems to escalate and dominate both your life and your relationship. If you make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/by-hiding-things-from-your-partner-you-allow-small-problems-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“Though we sometimes suspect that people are hiding things from us, it is not until we are in love that we feel an urgency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/though-we-sometimes-suspect-that-people-are-hiding-things-from-us-it/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [When I was a child, I did always feel that people were hiding things, and that they weren't expressing their true feelings. When adults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/when-i-was-a-child-i-did-always-feel-that-people-were-hiding-things/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [I'm interested in really particular details, ideas, thoughts, and emotions, yet it's defused with performance, where you can play with hiding things, or be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-tompkins/i-m-interested-in-really-particular-details-ideas-thoughts-and/) [Sue Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-tompkins/) > [“The enthusiastic massacre began once more. She did love the children. Children were one of her small joys, even when they were fiends to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/the-enthusiastic-massacre-began-once-more-she-did-love-the-children/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [In our show, we try to think about consequences, not about tricking the audience or hiding things to fool the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gould/in-our-show-we-try-to-think-about-consequences-not-about-tricking-the/) [Peter Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gould/) > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) ## More by Sean Spicer > [If you want to serve in a Trump administration, you're going to serve this country, not yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/if-you-want-to-serve-in-a-trump-administration-you-re-going-to-serve/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [It's about being right and trying to get the facts and get the story right, and inform, you know, the readership or the viewership.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/it-s-about-being-right-and-trying-to-get-the-facts-and-get-the-story/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [I think when Donald Trump looks at the energy sector, he sees that as a place to really create wealth for this country and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/i-think-when-donald-trump-looks-at-the-energy-sector-he-sees-that-as/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [There's no one better to imitate than Carly Fiorina when it comes to a successful woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/there-s-no-one-better-to-imitate-than-carly-fiorina-when-it-comes-to/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [Not everybody who supports Donald Trump, not everyone who supports Hilary Clinton, are exactly the kind of people that you want as supporters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/not-everybody-who-supports-donald-trump-not-everyone-who-supports/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [Every single person who enters Trump Tower, you get to see them go up, go down, they talk to the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/every-single-person-who-enters-trump-tower-you-get-to-see-them-go-up/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [Kellyanne is the first female campaign manager of any major party to win a presidential general election. In her position, Kellyanne will continue her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/kellyanne-is-the-first-female-campaign-manager-of-any-major-party-to/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [To be clear, any attempt to hack or to do anything nefarious is wrong and illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/to-be-clear-any-attempt-to-hack-or-to-do-anything-nefarious-is-wrong/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [Why aren't we talking about Hillary Clinton getting debate questions ahead of time? That's a pretty valid attempt to influence an election. Somebody giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/why-aren-t-we-talking-about-hillary-clinton-getting-debate-questions/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [Donald Trump did exactly what he said he'd do on the campaign trail and frankly what we should have more of, which is luring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/donald-trump-did-exactly-what-he-said-he-d-do-on-the-campaign-trail/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [What are we doing to make sure that people don't get the debate questions ahead of time - because I can tell you this:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/what-are-we-doing-to-make-sure-that-people-don-t-get-the-debate/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [I think there's a difference between calling people out and understanding the role that the press plays in a free society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/i-think-there-s-a-difference-between-calling-people-out-and/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [I grew up in Rhode Island. Most of my family on both sides is from Rhode Island.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/i-grew-up-in-rhode-island-most-of-my-family-on-both-sides-is-from/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [If the charge against me is that I fight to win, and I'm intense, then I'm guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/if-the-charge-against-me-is-that-i-fight-to-win-and-i-m-intense-then/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) > [Journalists and everyone in America has a constitutional right to express themselves or write what they want to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/journalists-and-everyone-in-america-has-a-constitutional-right-to/) [Sean Spicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) [Explore all 46 Sean Spicer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/) ## 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 > [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": "What we've seen in government for so often is that people have been shady - about their roles, hiding things, not releasing things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sean Spicer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-often-is-that-people-have-been/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Government" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-often-is-that-people-have-been/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/sean-spicer-14532_government_what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-oft_881567.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/sean-spicer-14532_government_what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-oft_881567.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5c/sean-spicer-14532_government_what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-oft_881567.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What we've seen in government for so often is that people have been shady - about their roles, hiding…” — Sean Spicer", "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": "Sean Spicer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-spicer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What we've seen in government for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-often-is-that-people-have-been/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-spicer/what-we-ve-seen-in-government-for-so-often-is-that-people-have-been/#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 } } ] } ```