Authority Quote by Alexander Hamilton
![“The instrument by which it [government] must act are either the AUTHORITY of the laws or FORCE. If the first be destroyed, the last must be substituted; and where this becomes the ordinary instrument of government there is an end to liberty!” quote by Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/063/alexander-hamilton-619_authority_the-instrument-by-which-it-government-mu_1468098.jpg)
“The instrument by which it [government] must act are either the AUTHORITY of the laws or FORCE. If the first be destroyed, the last must be substituted; and where this becomes the ordinary instrument of government there is an end to liberty!”
About This Quote
Source Document: The Federalist Papers, No. 78, 1788
Government must enforce law either through legitimate authority or coercive force; when authority collapses, force replaces it, eroding liberty.
In simple terms: Authority vs force; loss of liberty when force dominates.
Key Takeaway
Preserve legal authority to protect freedom.
Themes
government
law
authority
freedom
force
Mood
cautious
reflective
serious
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- legislative drafting
- judicial review
- civil rights enforcement
- public policy debates
Key Concepts
social contract
political legitimacy
state power
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance authority and force?
- What safeguards prevent force from overtaking law?
A Different Perspective
Force alone cannot sustain a free society; it may breed oppression.
![“We may well soon be subjected to anything that judges want to enforce… The result will be an enforced inability of the states to pass laws that reflect the principled judgment of their own citizens…And as our Founders taught us so well, ...[that] will be the end of liberty and the establishment of…” quote by Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a1f/alan-keyes-7078_america_we-may-well-soon-be-subjected-to-anythin_1202447.jpg)
![“[W]ar is a question, under our constitution, not of Executive, but of Legislative cognizance. It belongs to Congress to say whether the Nation shall of choice dismiss the olive branch and unfurl the banners of War.” quote by Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bd8/alexander-hamilton-619_banner_w-ar-is-a-question-under-our-constitutio_33383.jpg)
![“It is one thing to be subordinate to the laws, and another [for the Executive] to be dependent on the legislative body. The first comports with, the last violates, the fundamental principles of good government; and, whatever may be the forms of the Constitution, unites all power in the same hands.” quote by Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be4/alexander-hamilton-619_body_it-is-one-thing-to-be-subordinate-to-the_129196.jpg)
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)