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Government Quotes

“Public opinion: May it always perform one of its appropriate offices, by teaching the public functionaries of the State and of the Federal Government, that neither shall assume the exercise of powers entrusted by the Constitution to the other.”

May States Government Opinion Teaching Exercise Office Constitution Assuming Presidential Appropriate Federal Government Public Opinion

Author:James K. Polk

“Among a people without fellow-feeling, especially if they read and speak different languages, the united public opinion, necessary to the working of the representative government, cannot exist.”

People Ifs Different Feelings Government Speak Language United Opinion Fellows Representatives Public Opinion Different Languages Representative Government Fellow Feeling

Book:Considerations on Representative Government

Source: Considerations on Representative Government

“There can be no complete and permanent reform of the civil service until public opinion emancipates congressmen from all control and influence over government patronage. Legislation is required to establish the reform. No proper legislation is to be expected as long as members of Congress are engaged in procuring offices for their constituents.”

Long Government Opinion Influence Members Office Congress Expected Reform Permanent Engaged Legislation Public Opinion Constituents Congressman Patronage Civil Service

Author:Rutherford B. Hayes

“We set up government by consent of the governed, and the Bill of Rights denies those in power any legal opportunity to coerce that consent. Authority here is to be controlled by public opinion, not public opinion by authority.”

Government Opportunity Opinion Rights Authority Bills Deny Controlled Consent Public Opinion Bill Of Rights Coerce Consent Of The Governed

Author:Robert H. Jackson

“To spread healthy ideas among even the lowest classes of people, to remove men from the influence of prejudice and passion, to make reason the arbiter and supreme guide of public opinion; that is the essential goal of the sciences; that is how science will contribute to the advancement of civilization, and that is what deserves protection of governments who want to insure the stability of their power.”

“All Governments rest mainly on public opinion, and to that of his own subjects every wise Sovereign will look. The opinion of his subjects will force a Sovereign to do his duty, and by that opinion will he be exalted or depressed in the politics of the world.”

World Looks Government Force Opinion Wise Subjects Duty Sovereign Public Opinion Monarchy Exalted Very Wise

Author:Lloyd Kenyon, 1st Baron Kenyon

“I am convinced that those societies (such as the Native American peoples) which live without government enjoy in their general mass an infinitely greater degree of happiness than those who live under the European governments. Among the former, public opinion is in the place of law, & restrains morals as powerfully as laws ever did anywhere. Among the latter, under pretence of governing they have divided their nations into two classes, wolves & sheep. I do not exaggerate.”

Two Government Law Nations Enjoy Moral Opinion Class Greater Degrees Mass Convinced Former Native Latter Divided Sheep Native American Public Opinion Governing Pretence

Author:Thomas Jefferson

“Society,--the only field where the sexes have ever met on terms of equality, the arena where character is formed and studied, the cradle and the realm of public opinion, the crucible of ideas, the world's university, at once a school and a theater, the spur and the crown of ambition, the tribunal which unmasks pretension and stamps real merit, the power that gives government leave to be, and outruns the lazy Church in fixing the moral sense of the eye.”

Source: Speeches, Lectures, and Letters

“Public opinion, though slow as lava, in the end forces governments towards more sanity, more justice. My heroes and heroines are all private citizens.”

Ends Government Force Justice Opinion Hero Citizens Sanity Public Opinion My Hero Heroines Lava Heroes And Heroines

Book:The View From The Ground

Source: The View From The Ground