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