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Government Quotes


"He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it."



"The need for Government is the need for force; where force is unnecessary, there is no need for Government."


"If the jury have no right to judge of the justice of a law of the government, they plainly can do nothing to protect the people against the oppressions of the government; for there are no oppressions which the government may not authorize by law."


"I am pleased to report that Texas is known for having one of the strongest set of open government laws in our Nation. And ever since that experience, I have long believed that our federal government could use 'a little Texas sunshine.'"


"Exhortations to obstruct the operations of Government in detail, should; Exhortations to resist all."


"When the facilities of the government of the United States are drawn on an individual, it can be terrifying."


"Why is this government so insensitive to the concerns of the middle-class people?"


"With respect to drugs, you know, there are a lot of organizations, including an enormous budget and an army at the federal government level that tries to deal with the drug problem."


"Your purpose, then, plainly stated, is, that you will destroy the Government, unless you be allowed to construe and enforce the Constitution as you please, on all points in dispute between you and us."


"The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to an uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government."


"Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable - a most sacred right - a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world."


"Government is either organized benevolence or organized madness; its peculiar magnitude permits no shading."



"Which government is the best? The one that teaches us to govern ourselves."


"The difference in golf and government is that in golf you can't improve your lie."


"Nothing is so galling to a people not broken in from birth as a paternal, or, in other words, a meddling government, a government which tells them what to read, and say, and eat, and drink and wear."



"It is the safeguard of the strongest that he lives under a government which is obliged to respect the voice of the weakest."


"It is critical that Democratic candidates, whether they are in New Jersey, or Virginia, or anywhere, emphasize the fact that we can be trusted, and can bring fiscal integrity to our state, local, and national government."


"When a machine begins to run without human aid, it is time to scrap it - whether it be a factory or a government."


"Our government shouldn't tell us where to travel and where not to travel."


"I have never forgotten my days as an Eagle Scout. I didn't know it at the time, but what really came out of my Scouting was learning how to lead and serve the community. It has come in handy in my career in government."


"As the most participatory form of mass speech yet developed, the Internet deserves the highest protection from government intrusion."



"Government has never increased the standard of living of one single human being in civilization's history. For some reason that simple truth has evaded everybody."



"If we can but prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy."


"Government health care changes the relationship between the citizen and the state, and, in fact, I think it's an assault on citizenship."


"The maxim, that governments ought to train the people in the way in which they should go, sounds well. But is there any reason for believing that a government is more likely to lead the people in the right way than the people to fall into the right way of themselves?"


"The mystery of government is not how Washington works but how to make it stop."


"The United States Constitution has proved itself the most marvelously elastic compilation of rules of government ever written."


"Singling out political opponents for working against the ruling party is precisely the tactic of every tyrannical government from Red China to Venezuela. The first step in the process is creating unfounded public suspicion of political opponents, followed by arresting and jailing any who continue speaking against the regime."


"Now that this legislation has passed the House, I look forward to the vote in the Senate that will bring us to Conference, where we can resolve any outstanding issues and make this postal reform reality - for the Postal Service and for all Americans."


"A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce, or a tragedy, or perhaps both."


"The federal government was responsible for building the levees, engineering the levees, and consequentially, the federal government is responsible for repairing the damage that has been done, which has not been completed yet."


"Government proposes, bureaucracy disposes. And the bureaucracy must dispose of government proposals by dumping them on us."


"The worst government is often the most moral. One composed of cynics is often very tolerant and humane. But when fanatics are on top there is no limit to oppression."


"I don't know if I can live on my income or not - the government won't let me try it."


"The British Government and the Irish Government have accepted very clearly the Mitchell Report."


"Feeling good about government is like looking on the bright side of any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the bright side, the catastrophe is still there."


"Who is an elected government in a constitutional democracy to decide it will not tolerate dissent."


"Whatever it is that the government does, sensible Americans would prefer that the government does it to somebody else. This is the idea behind foreign policy."


"The government doesn't have to solve everyone's problem here."


"For nearly four years you have had an Administration which instead of twirling its thumbs has rolled up its sleeves. We will keep our sleeves rolled up. We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace-business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob."


"Iraqis have held elections and have recently put together their government, all encouraging developments."


"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."


"The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse."


"The best government is that which teaches us to govern ourselves."


"I am concerned about the whole man. I am concerned about what the people, using their government as an instrument and a tool, can do toward building the whole man, which will mean a better society and a better world."


"Nothing turns out to be so oppressive and unjust as a feeble government."


"Nations it may be have fashioned their Governments, but the Governments have paid them back in the same coin."


"I can make a firm pledge, under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes."
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