Statesman

A statesman or stateswoman is a respected, skilled and experienced political leader or figure.[1] In most respects a statesman is the opposite of a politician. Politicians are thought of as people who will say or do anything to get elected or to gain power.[2] A statesman is someone who does everything for the common good of the people he or she represents.[2] To call a person a statesman is a mark of high regard for that person's integrity.[3] To call someone a politician usually implies the person is worthy of very little esteem.[3] For example, George Washington is almost always called a statesman.[4] An elder statesman is a term often defined as an older politician or advisor who is thought to be above normal politics.[a][7]

  1. "statesman". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Johnny Kilhefner (2016). "Statesman vs. Politician". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Andrew Effrat, Perspectives in Political Sociology (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1972), p. 53
  4. Hsing Yun, Life: Politics, Human Rights, and What the Buddha Said About Life, tr. Robert H. Smitheram (Los Angeles: Buddha's Light Publishing, 2011), p. 70
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Jeffrey M. Jones (25 April 2013). "History Usually Kinder to Ex-Presidents". Gallup, Inc. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  6. "The 10 Worst Presidents". CBS News. 20 February 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  7. William Safire, Safire's Political Dictionary (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2008), pp. 211–212


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