Quotation by

Thomas Jefferson

A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is

Thomas Jefferson

Government

Understanding this quote AI Analysis

Thomas Jefferson is saying that a good government should prevent people from harming each other but otherwise allow individuals to manage their own work and progress freely. He emphasizes that the government should not take away the earnings that workers have rightfully made through their labor.

More by this author

All quotes by Thomas Jefferson →

More quotes about Government

See all →

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.

Government is not reason it is not eloquent it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.

Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil in its worst state, an intolerable one.

No man is good enough to govern another man without the other's consent.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.