--- title: "26 Function Government Quotes by 23 authors" description: "Browse 26 Function Government quotes by 23 authors. Discover the best Function Government sayings and thoughts." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bc/ronald-reagan-119_function_i-thought-the-function-of-the-government_1514953.jpg" --- > [I thought the function of the government was to promote the general welfare, not to provide it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-thought-the-function-of-the-government-was-to-promote-the-general/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bc/ronald-reagan-119_function_i-thought-the-function-of-the-government_1514953.jpg) > [Taxation is, in fact, the most difficult function of government and that against which their citizens are most apt to be refractory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/taxation-is-in-fact-the-most-difficult-function-of-government-and/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/838/thomas-jefferson-43_citizens_taxation-is-in-fact-the-most-difficult-f_792298.jpg) > [Outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or economically as the private sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/outside-of-its-legitimate-function-government-does-nothing-as-well-or/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/ronald-reagan-119_doe_outside-of-its-legitimate-function-gover_2042790.jpg) > [It is function of government to invent philosophies to explain the demands of its own convenience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-kempton/it-is-function-of-government-to-invent-philosophies-to-explain-the/) [Murray Kempton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-kempton/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/murray-kempton-19763_convenience_it-is-function-of-government-to-invent-p_730452.png) > [I certainly respect privacy and privacy rights. But on the other hand, the first function of government is to guarantee the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crane/i-certainly-respect-privacy-and-privacy-rights-but-on-the-other-hand/) [Phil Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crane/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/phil-crane-43407_cybersecurity_i-certainly-respect-privacy-and-privacy_682680.jpg) > [The sole function of Government is to bring about a condition of affairs favorable to the beneficial development of private enterprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/the-sole-function-of-government-is-to-bring-about-a-condition-of/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/herbert-hoover-1115_affair_the-sole-function-of-government-is-to-br_802901.jpg) > [The most basic function of government is to provide a framework of law and order, within which the people are free to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-most-basic-function-of-government-is-to-provide-a-framework-of/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/thomas-sowell-247_government_the-most-basic-function-of-government-is_1448849.jpg) > [The proper function of a government is to make it easy for the people to do good, and difficult for them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/the-proper-function-of-a-government-is-to-make-it-easy-for-the-people/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a0/daniel-webster-2347_difficult_the-proper-function-of-a-government-is-t_2651480.jpg) > [Public servants say, always with the best of intentions, 'What greater service we could render if only we had a little more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/public-servants-say-always-with-the-best-of-intentions-what-greater/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/ronald-reagan-119_doe_public-servants-say-always-with-the-best_951258.jpg) > [“The purpose of government, and therefore of law, is not to cause justice to prevail, but rather, to prevent injustice from reigning.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/the-purpose-of-government-and-therefore-of-law-is-not-to-cause/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/joseph-befumo-7176_justice_the-purpose-of-government-and-therefore_353756.jpg) > [You can be ideological; you can be passionate about your issues - I'm all for that. And there are some issues I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-bush/you-can-be-ideological-you-can-be-passionate-about-your-issues-i-m/) [George P. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-bush/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d00/george-p-bush-10573_give_you-can-be-ideological-you-can-be-passio_1940127.jpg) > [There are very powerful and wealthy special interests who want to privatize or dismember virtually every function that government now performs, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/there-are-very-powerful-and-wealthy-special-interests-who-want-to/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c8/bernie-sanders-233_education_there-are-very-powerful-and-wealthy-spec_1071964.jpg) > [Government must not supersede the will of the people or the responsibilities of the people. The function of government is not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/government-must-not-supersede-the-will-of-the-people-or-the/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/ronald-reagan-119_function_government-must-not-supersede-the-will-o_1324167.jpg) > [My dad was always trying to impress upon me that the key to good governance - and winning elections - is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-tarlov/my-dad-was-always-trying-to-impress-upon-me-that-the-key-to-good/) [Jessica Tarlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-tarlov/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dce/jessica-tarlov-6366_dad_my-dad-was-always-trying-to-impress-upon_1597726.jpg) > [To take an analogy: if we say that a democratic government is the best kind of government, we mean that it most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-drinkwater/to-take-an-analogy-if-we-say-that-a-democratic-government-is-the-best/) [John Drinkwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-drinkwater/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/john-drinkwater-23254_analogies_to-take-an-analogy-if-we-say-that-a-demo_2808291.jpg) > [“There is a real function for government in respect to pollution: to set conditions and, in particular, define property rights to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/there-is-a-real-function-for-government-in-respect-to-pollution-to/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e8/milton-friedman-616_politics_there-is-a-real-function-for-government_1982722.png) > [“All that was once looked on as a function of the government is today called in question. Things are arranged more easily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pyotr-kropotkin/all-that-was-once-looked-on-as-a-function-of-the-government-is-today/) [Pyotr Kropotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pyotr-kropotkin/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/pyotr-kropotkin-15647_human-race_all-that-was-once-looked-on-as-a-functio_625468.jpg) > [The basic function of the government everywhere in all times, whatever title it adopts and whatever its origin and organisation may be,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errico-malatesta/the-basic-function-of-the-government-everywhere-in-all-times-whatever/) [Errico Malatesta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errico-malatesta/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b02/errico-malatesta-20817_accepting_the-basic-function-of-the-government-eve_298739.jpg) > [The function of our Government is to insure to all its citizens, now and hereafter, their rights to life, liberty, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-function-of-our-government-is-to-insure-to-all-its-citizens-now/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/theodore-roosevelt-218_capacity_the-function-of-our-government-is-to-ins_1164419.jpg) > [The function of government is to provide you with service; the function of the media is to supply the Vaseline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/the-function-of-government-is-to-provide-you-with-service-the/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/l-neil-smith-3636_function_the-function-of-government-is-to-provide_661566.png) > [“The greed of a single person must never be allowed to subvert the function of government so that one person’s profit can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocco-leonard-martino/the-greed-of-a-single-person-must-never-be-allowed-to-subvert-the/) [Rocco Leonard Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rocco-leonard-martino/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/rocco-leonard-martino-273936_greed_the-greed-of-a-single-person-must-never_355049.jpg) > [The purpose and function of government is not to preside over change but to prevent change. By political methods when unavoidable, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/the-purpose-and-function-of-government-is-not-to-preside-over-change/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/edward-abbey-254_change_the-purpose-and-function-of-government-i_1527572.jpg) > [The primary function of government is to protect the minority of the opulent from the majority of the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-primary-function-of-government-is-to-protect-the-minority-of-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87d/james-madison-373_function_the-primary-function-of-government-is-to_876601.png) > [The function of Government must be to favor no small group at the expense of its duty to protect the rights of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-function-of-government-must-be-to-favor-no-small-group-at-the/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_citizens_the-function-of-government-must-be-to-fa_1030933.jpg) > [It is not the function of government to keep the citizen from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-not-the-function-of-government-to-keep-the-citizen-from-falling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/anonymous-1_citizens_it-is-not-the-function-of-government-to_812557.jpg) > [The primary function of the government is - and here I am quoting directly from the U.S. Constitution - to spew out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-primary-function-of-the-government-is-and-here-i-am-quoting/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/dave-barry-222_constitution_the-primary-function-of-the-government-i_831696.png) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function-government/#itemlist", "name": "Function Government Quotes", "numberOfItems": 26, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I thought the function of the government was to promote the general welfare, not to provide it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ronald Reagan" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-thought-the-function-of-the-government-was-to-promote-the-general/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bc/ronald-reagan-119_function_i-thought-the-function-of-the-government_1514953.jpg", "contentUrl": 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"Person", "name": "Murray Kempton" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-kempton/it-is-function-of-government-to-invent-philosophies-to-explain-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/murray-kempton-19763_convenience_it-is-function-of-government-to-invent-p_730452.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/murray-kempton-19763_convenience_it-is-function-of-government-to-invent-p_730452.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/murray-kempton-19763_convenience_it-is-function-of-government-to-invent-p_730452.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is function of government to invent philosophies to explain the demands of its own convenience.” — Murray Kempton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I certainly respect privacy and privacy rights. But on the other hand, the first function of government is to guarantee the security of all the people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Phil Crane" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crane/i-certainly-respect-privacy-and-privacy-rights-but-on-the-other-hand/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/phil-crane-43407_cybersecurity_i-certainly-respect-privacy-and-privacy_682680.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/phil-crane-43407_cybersecurity_i-certainly-respect-privacy-and-privacy_682680.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25a/phil-crane-43407_cybersecurity_i-certainly-respect-privacy-and-privacy_682680.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I certainly respect privacy and privacy rights. 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But the truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ronald Reagan" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/public-servants-say-always-with-the-best-of-intentions-what-greater/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/ronald-reagan-119_doe_public-servants-say-always-with-the-best_951258.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/ronald-reagan-119_doe_public-servants-say-always-with-the-best_951258.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/ronald-reagan-119_doe_public-servants-say-always-with-the-best_951258.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Public servants say, always with the best of intentions, 'What greater service we could render if only we…” — Ronald Reagan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The purpose of government, and therefore of law, is not to cause justice to prevail, but rather, to prevent injustice from reigning. Justice is the absence of injustice. The sole function of government, and therefore the law, is to prevent violation of our lives, liberties, and property by greedy or power-hungry individuals and groups.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Befumo" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/the-purpose-of-government-and-therefore-of-law-is-not-to-cause/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/joseph-befumo-7176_justice_the-purpose-of-government-and-therefore_353756.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/joseph-befumo-7176_justice_the-purpose-of-government-and-therefore_353756.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/joseph-befumo-7176_justice_the-purpose-of-government-and-therefore_353756.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The purpose of government, and therefore of law, is not to cause justice to prevail, but rather, to prevent…” — Joseph Befumo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can be ideological; you can be passionate about your issues - I'm all for that. 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