Government quotes

Government

11.3K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.

11.3K quotes

Explore further

Browse quotes that often appear alongside government — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.

Quote collection

Government quotes (page 52 of 568)

Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.

Ayn Rand Philosopher, Novelist
Government

"Every coercive monopoly was created by government intervention into the economy: by special privileges, such as franchises or subsidies, which closed the entry of competitors into a given field, by legislative action."

Read quote 8 likes
Warren Buffett Investor, Businessman
Government

"[People] have seen the credit market seize up. They're worried about money market funds, although the latest proposition from government should take care of that. They've seen eight percent of the bank deposits in the United States get moved very skillfully, I might say, within the last couple of weeks from institutions that they thought were fine a few months ago to other institutions. They are not wrong to be worried."

Read quote 8 likes
Woodrow Wilson Politician
Government

"No government has ever been beneficent when the attitude of government was that it was taking care of the people. The only freedom consists in the people taking care of the government."

Read quote 8 likes
Woodrow Wilson Politician
Government

"The allied nations with the fullest concurrence of our government and people are agreed that in Palestine shall be laid the foundations of a Jewish Commonwealth."

Read quote 8 likes
Wilbur Smith Author
Government

"Politicians all over the world cater to domestic vote banks. They will spend only on what their constituents want. So unless there is a grass root green movement in a nation the politicians will not be willing to spend money on curbing emissions. More awareness is needed amongst the people to effect the real change in how governments spend."

Read quote 8 likes
Ralph Waldo Emerson Essayist, Philosopher, Poet
Government

"What a benefit would the American government, not yet relieved of its extreme need, render to itself, and to every city, village and hamlet in the States, if it would tax whiskey and rum almost to the point of prohibition! Was it Bonaparte who said that he found vices very good patriots? "He got five millions from the love of brandy, and he should be glad to know which of the virtues would pay him as much." Tobacco and opium have broad backs, and will cheerfully carry the load of armies, if you choose to make them pay high for such joy as they give and such harm as they do."

Read quote 8 likes
Rand Paul Politician
Government

"The history of African-American repression in this country rose from government-sanctioned racism. Jim Crow laws were a product of bigoted state and local governments."

Read quote 8 likes
Ray Bradbury Author
Government

"It didn't come from the Government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship, to start with, no! Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God."

Read quote 8 likes
Theodore Roosevelt Politician, Author
Government

"It is the people, and not the judges, who are entitled to say what their constitution means, for the constitution is theirs, it belongs to them and not to their servants in office—any other theory is incompatible with the foundation principles of our government."

Read quote 8 likes
Thomas A. Edison Inventor
Government

"It is the people who constitute the basis of Government credit. Why then cannot the people have benefit of their own gilt-edge credit by receiving non-interest bearing currency-instead of bankers receiving the benefit of the people's credit in interest-bearing bonds. If the United States Government will adopt this policy of increasing its national wealth without contributing to the interest collector-for the whole national debt is made up on interest charges-then you will see an era of progress and prosperity in this country such as could never have come otherwise."

Read quote 8 likes
Thomas Frank Author
Government

"Markets are interested in profits and profits only; service, quality, and general affluence are different functions altogether. The universal, democratic prosperity that Americans now look back to with such nostalgia was achieved only by a colossal reigning in of markets, by the gargantuan effort of mass, popular organizations like labor unions and of the people themselves, working through a series of democratically elected governments not daunted by the myths of the market."

Read quote 8 likes