Quotessence
Home / Quotes / G Quotes

G Quotes

Browse famous quotes beginning with G. This page is a child index of the full Popular Quotes A-Z directory.

All G Quotes

“Government is a powerful tool, but not a magic one. And once people realize that unintended outcomes are the rule rather than the exception, they can begin to temper their expectations as to what government can actually achieve. Because while government cannot accomplish all things, the belief and expectation that it can are probably the most dangerous beliefs and expectations that we have as members of a political body. Every sentence that begins with, “the government should…” implies the use of coercion. And the coercion that follows is not always worth what it costs, in terms of money, time, emotional distress, or human dignity. The trick is in knowing under what circumstances the reality of what coercion can achieve is more desirable than the reality of what cooperation can achieve.”

“Government is about coercion. Limiting government is the single most important instrument for guaranteeing liberty. We're working on a third generation which has little in the way of education about what our Constitution means and why it was written. Thus, we've fallen easy prey to charlatens, quacks, and hustlers.”

“Government is best which is closest to the people. Yet that belief is betrayed by those State and local officials who engage in denying the right of citizens to vote. Their actions serve only to assure that their State governments and local governments shall be remote from the people, least representative of the people's will and least responsive to the people's wishes.”

“Government is frequently and aptly classed under two descriptions-a government of force, and a government of laws; the first is the definition of despotism-the last, of liberty.”

“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it.”

“Government is instituted to protect property of every sort; as well that which lies in the various rights of individuals, as that which the term particularly expresses. This being the end of government, that alone is a just government which impartially secures to every man whatever is his own.”