Government Quotes

Many people consider the things which government does for them to be social progress, but they consider the things government does for others as socialism.

Chief Justice Earl Warren

Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.

Harry S Truman, August 8, 1950

I want to make a policy statement. I am unabashedly in favor of women. On appointing 10 women to top government positions.

Lyndon B. Johnson

On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does.

Will Rogers

The Soviet government is the most realistic regime in the world - No ideals.

Golda Mei

There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.

John Adams, Journal, 1772

The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the goverment.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

If our democracy is to flourish, it must have criticism; if our government is to function it must have dissent.

Henry Commage

Democracy means government by discussion, but it is only effective if you can stop people talking.

Clement Atlee

It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.

Ansel Adams

In the frank expression of conflicting opinions lies the greatest promise of wisdom in governmental action.

Louis D. Brandeis

The teaching of politics is that the Government, which was set for protection and comfort of all good citizens, becomes the principal obstruction and nuisance with which we have to contend? The cheat and bully and malefactor we meet everywhere is the Government.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Journal, 1860

A little rebellion now and then... is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government.

Thomas Jefferson, Letter to James Madison, 1787

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

There has never been a perfect government, because men have passions and if they did not have passions, there would be no need for government.

Francois Marie Arouet Voltaire

A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away.

Barry Goldwate

Take away the right to say fuck and you take away the right to say fuck the government.

Lenny Bruce

I believe and I say it is true Democratic feeling, that all the measures of the government are directed tot he purpose of making the rich richer and the poor poorer.

William Henry Harrison, Speech, October 1, 1840

All free governments are managed by the combined wisdom and folly of the people.

James Abram Garfield

There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.

Benjamin Franklin

Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

Thomas Jefferson

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury.

Alexander Tyle

Religion... is the basis and foundation of government... before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe.

James Madison

If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government - - And a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws.

Edward Abbey

Every government is run by liars and nothing they say should be believed.

I. F. Stone

That government is best which governs least. - From Civil Disobedience.

Henry David Thoreau

I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.

Francis Bacon

The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object.

Thomas Jefferson

It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.

Voltaire

The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way.

Henry David Thoreau

A revolution of government is the strongest proof that can be given by a people of their virtue and good sense.

John Adams, (Diary, 1786)

A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.

Gerald R. Ford

Asking to meet with Italian businessmen instead of government officials. I want to talk to these people because they stay in power and you change all the time.

Nikita Khrushchev

Government expands to absorb revenue - And then some.

Tom Wicke

The work of internal government has become the task of controlling the thousands of fifth - Rate men.

Henry B. Adams

So long as governments set the example of killing their enemies, private citizens will occasionally kill their. s.

Elbert Hubbard

Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life and forms of government.

Aristotle