Famously Said Random quote

Quotes about government

575 quotes from 235 people

Most readBy personPage 38 of 39

The inflexibility of the laws, which prevents them from adapting themselves to circumstances, may, in certain cases, render them disastrous, and make them bring about, at a time of crisis, the ruin of the State.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau1712–1778The Social Contract (1762), Book IV, Chapter VIIn context
- Laws
I believe that to execute a man for murder is to punish him immeasurably more dreadfully than is equivalent to his crime. A murder by sentence is far more dreadful than a murder committed by a criminal.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky1821–1881The Idiot (1869), Part I, Chapter IIIn context
- Justice
- Laws
Governing a great state is like cooking small fish.
LLaozi580–501 BCTao Te Ching (4th century BC), Part II, Chapter 60In context
- Leadership
If ill opinions cannot be quite rooted out, and you cannot cure some received vice according to your wishes, you must not, therefore, abandon the commonwealth, for the same reasons as you should not forsake the ship in a storm because you cannot command the winds.
Thomas More1478–1535Utopia (1516), Book IIn context
- Politics
- Responsibility
As long as there is any property, and while money is the standard of all other things, I cannot think that a nation can be governed either justly or happily
Thomas More1478–1535Utopia (1516), Book IIn context
- Money
I can have no other notion of all the other governments that I see or know, than that they are a conspiracy of the rich, who, on pretence of managing the public, only pursue their private ends
Thomas More1478–1535Utopia (1516), Book II (4 of 4)In context
- Money
The liberal military code makes provision for hanging many kinds of persons, and gentlemen are not excluded.
Ambrose Bierce1842–1914An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1890)In context
- Laws
- War & Peace
I know not whether Laws be right,
Or whether Laws be wrong;
All that we know who lie in gaol
Is that the wall is strong;
And that each day is like a year,
A year whose days are long.
Oscar Wilde1854–1900The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), Part VIn context
The most dangerous enemy of truth and freedom amongst us is the compact majority
Henrik Ibsen1828–1906An Enemy of the People (1882), Act IV, spoken by Dr. StockmannIn context
The majority has might on its side⁠—unfortunately; but right it has not. I am in the right⁠—I and a few other scattered individuals. The minority is always in the right.
Henrik Ibsen1828–1906An Enemy of the People (1882), Act IV, spoken by Dr. StockmannIn context
- Democracy
The right to change the government by the ballot box and not the barrel of a gun; perhaps the best definition of a democracy.
Elizabeth II1926–2022During a speech to President Gerald Ford celebrating the 200th anniversary of American independence.
- Democracy
It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part.
James Madison1751–1836Federalist No. 51 (February 6, 1788)In context
- Justice
No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid.
Alexander Hamilton1757–1804Federalist No. 78 (May 28, 1788)In context
- Laws
The interpretation of the laws is the proper and peculiar province of the courts. A constitution is, in fact, and must be regarded by the judges, as a fundamental law. It therefore belongs to them to ascertain its meaning, as well as the meaning of any particular act proceeding from the legislative body.
Alexander Hamilton1757–1804Federalist No. 78 (May 28, 1788)In context
- Justice
- Laws
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
CCConstitutional ConventionThe Constitution of the United States (September 17, 1787), PreambleIn context
- America
- Liberty