Quotes about Government

Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not of republicanism and of all free government, but of social felicity under all government and in all the combinations of human society.

The form of government which communicates ease, comfort, security, or, in one word, happiness, to the greatest number of persons, and in the greatest degree, is the best.

the qualifications for self-government in society are not innate. they are the result of habit and long training.

Law represents the effort of man to organize society; governments, the efforts of selfishness to overthrow liberty.

A sick society must think much about politics, as a sick man must think much about his digestion.

The aggregate happiness of the society, which is best promoted by the practice of a virtuous policy, is, or ought to be, the end of all government . . . .

It is a problem, not clear in my mind, that [a society without government, as among our Indians] is not the best. But I believe it to be inconsistent with any great degree of population.

The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.

Never do anything against conscience, even if the state demands it.

I believe the most important mission of the state is to protect the individual and make it possible for him to develop into a creative personality.

The timid may say, "What is the use? We shall be sent to prison." To them I would reply: Even if only two percent of those assigned to perform military service should announce their refusal to fight, as well as urge means other than war of settling international disputes, governments would be powerless, they would not dare send such a large number of people to jail.

A democracy which makes or even effectively prepares for modern, scientific war must necessarily cease to be democratic. No country can be really well prepared for modern war unless it is governed by a tyrant, at the head of a highly trained and perfectly obedient bureaucracy.