Counsellors Quote by Adam Smith
“Whenever the legislature attempts to regulate differences between masters and their workmen, its counsellors are always the masters. When the regulation, therefore, is in favor of the workmen, it is always just and equitable; but it is sometimes otherwise when in favor of the masters.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Wealth of Nations, 1776
The lawmakers are often influenced by the powerful they regulate, so policies favoring workers are rare and may be biased toward owners.
In simple terms: Legislators tend to side with the powerful.
Key Takeaway
Beware of hidden biases in regulation.
Themes
politics
economics
power
law
justice
Mood
cautious
critical
reflective
Type
advisory
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- labor negotiations
- policy drafting
- advocacy
- public hearings
- corporate lobbying
Key Concepts
class conflict
regulatory capture
interest groups
Questions to Reflect On
- Who benefits from this regulation?
- How can we ensure fair representation?
A Different Perspective
Even well‑intentioned laws can be skewed by elite influence.
![“We rarely hear, it has been said, of the combinations [that is, unions or colluding organizations] of masters, though frequently of those of workmen. But whoever imagines, upon this account, that masters rarely combine, is as ignorant of the world as of the subject. Masters are always and…” quote by Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/792/adam-smith-1040_accounts_we-rarely-hear-it-has-been-said-of-the-c_2469442.jpg)
