--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All the power [the State] has is what…" description: "\"“All the power [the State] has is what society gives it, plus what it confiscates from time to time on one pretext or another; there is no other source..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/albert-jay-nock-45459_power_all-the-power-the-state-has-is-what-soci_2572716.jpg" --- # All the power \[the State\] has is what society gives it… ![“All the power [the State] has is what society gives it, plus what it confiscates from time to time on one pretext or another; there is no other source from which State power can be drawn. Therefore every assumption of State power, whether by gift or seizure, leaves society with so much less power.” quote by Albert Jay Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/albert-jay-nock-45459_power_all-the-power-the-state-has-is-what-soci_2572716.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/albert-jay-nock-45459_power_all-the-power-the-state-has-is-what-soci_2572716.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/albert-jay-nock-45459_power_all-the-power-the-state-has-is-what-soci_2572716.jpg) > ““All the power \[the State\] has is what society gives it, plus what it confiscates from time to time on one pretext or another; there is no other source from which State power can be drawn. Therefore every assumption of State power, whether by gift or seizure, leaves society with so much less power.”” [Albert Jay Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-jay-nock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. State power originates from societal consent and confiscation, not inherent authority, limiting its legitimacy. **In simple terms:** State power comes from society, not itself. Key Takeaway Question the source of authority. Themes politics power society authority Mood critical analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - voting - activism - policy analysis - community organizing Key Concepts social contract philosophy economics Questions to Reflect On - What gives the state its power? - How can citizens reclaim power? A Different Perspective Power can be abused despite consent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It is unfortunately none too well understood that, just as the State has no money of its own, so it has no power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/it-is-unfortunately-none-too-well-understood-that-just-as-the-state-2/) [Albert J. Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-j-nock/) > [You get the same order of criminality from any State to which you give power to exercise it; and whatever power you give the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/you-get-the-same-order-of-criminality-from-any-state-to-which-you/) [Albert J. Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-j-nock/) > [The competition of social power with State power is always disadvantaged, since the State can arrange the terms of competition to suit itself, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-competition-of-social-power-with-state-power-is-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm against unanswerable concentrations of power, whether that be government or private industry or religious figures - anybody who is not accountable to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-suarez/i-m-against-unanswerable-concentrations-of-power-whether-that-be/) [Daniel Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-suarez/) > [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. 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So that, whether the magistrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/for-the-civil-government-can-give-no-new-right-to-the-church-nor-the/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [If we have power to degrade an entire society, then we also have the power to uplift it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/if-we-have-power-to-degrade-an-entire-society-then-we-also-have-the/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [Others think it the responsibility of scientists to coerce the rest of society, because they have the power that derives from special knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/others-think-it-the-responsibility-of-scientists-to-coerce-the-rest/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) ## More by Albert Jay Nock > [“Instead of recognizing the State as “the common enemy of all well-disposed, industrious and decent men,” the run of mankind, with rare exceptions, regards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-jay-nock/instead-of-recognizing-the-state-as-the-common-enemy-of-all-well/) [Albert Jay Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-jay-nock/) > [“To be ignorant of one’s ignorance is the malady of the ignorant. —AMOS BRONSON ALCOTT.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-jay-nock/to-be-ignorant-of-one-s-ignorance-is-the-malady-of-the-ignorant-amos/) [Albert Jay Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-jay-nock/) > [“I wonder how many such men in America would know that Communism, the New Deal, Fascism, Nazism, are merely so-many trade-names for collectivist Statism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-jay-nock/i-wonder-how-many-such-men-in-america-would-know-that-communism-the/) [Albert Jay Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-jay-nock/) > [“American society is the only one which has passed directly from barbarism into decadence without once knowing civilisation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-jay-nock/american-society-is-the-only-one-which-has-passed-directly-from/) [Albert Jay Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-jay-nock/) > [“Courts. To be seen as you would see the Tower of London or menagerie of Versailles with their lions, tigers, hyænas, and other beasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-jay-nock/courts-to-be-seen-as-you-would-see-the-tower-of-london-or-menagerie/) [Albert Jay Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-jay-nock/) > [“In literature one has the best company in the world at complete command; one also has the worst. One has a social conscience which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-jay-nock/in-literature-one-has-the-best-company-in-the-world-at-complete/) [Albert Jay Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-jay-nock/) > [“In the last generation, this country produced one of the most eminent men of science in the whole world. 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When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/politics-is-about-power-it-is-about-the-power-of-the-state-it-is/) [Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/) [Browse all 17,893 Power quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“All the power [the State] has is what society gives it, plus what it confiscates from time to time on one pretext or another; there is no other source from which State power can be drawn. 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