--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are no necessary evils in…" description: "\"There are no necessary evils in government. It's evils exist only in it's abuses.\" — Andrew Jackson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/andrew-jackson-2317_evils_there-are-no-necessary-evils-in-governme_1685023.png" --- # There are no necessary evils in government. It's evils… ![“There are no necessary evils in government. It's evils exist only in it's abuses.” quote by Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/andrew-jackson-2317_evils_there-are-no-necessary-evils-in-governme_1685023.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/andrew-jackson-2317_evils_there-are-no-necessary-evils-in-governme_1685023.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/andrew-jackson-2317_evils_there-are-no-necessary-evils-in-governme_1685023.png) > “There are no necessary evils in government. It's evils exist only in it's abuses.” [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government itself is neutral; evil arises from misuse of power. **In simple terms:** Government is neutral; abuse creates evil. Key Takeaway Prevent abuse of power. Themes politics ethics government Mood cautious thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - public office - legislation Key Concepts power dynamics corruption Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions guard against abuse? - What checks are effective? A Different Perspective Power can be misused despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [There are no necessary evils in government. Its evils exist only in its abuses. If it would confine itself to equal protection, and, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/there-are-no-necessary-evils-in-government-its-evils-exist-only-in-2/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [There are no necessary evils in government. Its evils exist only in its abuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/there-are-no-necessary-evils-in-government-its-evils-exist-only-in/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [No one who is in this world will deny that evils exist. What, then, do we say? That evil is not a living and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-basil/no-one-who-is-in-this-world-will-deny-that-evils-exist-what-then-do/) [Saint Basil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-basil/) > [Do not let us mistake necessary evils for good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-let-us-mistake-necessary-evils-for-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Women are necessary evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/women-are-necessary-evils/) Proverb > [“Tradition with all its happy assumptions and necessary evils, all of its content majorities and stout killers, is not always a reliable guide.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-scully/tradition-with-all-its-happy-assumptions-and-necessary-evils-all-of/) [Matthew Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-scully/) > [Most "necessary evils" are far more evil than necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/most-necessary-evils-are-far-more-evil-than-necessary/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [Umpires are necessary evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-harvey/umpires-are-necessary-evils/) [Doug Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-harvey/) > [The evils of government are directly proportional to the tolerance of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-evils-of-government-are-directly-proportional-to-the-tolerance-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Who knows what madness has beguiled those fools. But history teaches us that when a society grows old enough, and secure enough, some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-g-thater/who-knows-what-madness-has-beguiled-those-fools-but-history-teaches/) [Glenn G. Thater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-g-thater/) > [“Old Burmese (now Myanmar) proverb: Burmese proverb: Government is one of the five evils along with fire, floods, thieves and enemies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-friedland/old-burmese-now-myanmar-proverb-burmese-proverb-government-is-one-of/) Jeffrey Friedland > [A large portion of our citizens, who will not believe, even on the evidence of facts, that any public evils exist, or are impending.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fisher-ames/a-large-portion-of-our-citizens-who-will-not-believe-even-on-the/) [Fisher Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fisher-ames/) > [“I cannot think why we should be astonished at all the evils which exist in the Church, when those who ought to be models…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santa-teresa-de-jes-s/i-cannot-think-why-we-should-be-astonished-at-all-the-evils-which/) [Santa Teresa de Jesús](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santa-teresa-de-jes-s/) > [I hate to shop. I consider it one of life's necessary evils, like brussels sprouts and high-heeled shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/i-hate-to-shop-i-consider-it-one-of-life-s-necessary-evils-like/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [When a person, group, or a government is speaking of necessary evils they must first realize that no evil is truly necessary. It may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-lee/when-a-person-group-or-a-government-is-speaking-of-necessary-evils/) Aaron Lee ## More by Andrew Jackson > [Disunion by force is treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/disunion-by-force-is-treason/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [Peace, above all things, is to be desired, but blood must sometimes be spilled to obtain it on equable and lasting terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/peace-above-all-things-is-to-be-desired-but-blood-must-sometimes-be/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [It is a well-settled principle of the international code that where one nation owes another a liquidated debt which it refuses or neglects to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/it-is-a-well-settled-principle-of-the-international-code-that-where/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [Desperate courage makes One a majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/desperate-courage-makes-one-a-majority/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [The great constitutional corrective in the hands of the people against usurpation of power, or corruption by their agents is the right of suffrage;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/the-great-constitutional-corrective-in-the-hands-of-the-people/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [“The mischief springs from the power which the monied interest derives from a paper currency which they are able to control, from the multitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/the-mischief-springs-from-the-power-which-the-monied-interest-derives/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [Mere precedent is a dangerous source of authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/mere-precedent-is-a-dangerous-source-of-authority/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [Temporize not! It is always injurious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/temporize-not-it-is-always-injurious/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [The authority of the Supreme Court must not be permitted to control the Congress or the Executive when acting in their legislative capacities, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/the-authority-of-the-supreme-court-must-not-be-permitted-to-control/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [Hemans gallows ought to be the fate of all such ambitious men who would involve their country in civil wars, and all the evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/hemans-gallows-ought-to-be-the-fate-of-all-such-ambitious-men-who/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [All the rights secured to the citizens under the Constitution are worth nothing, and a mere bubble, except guaranteed to them by an independent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/all-the-rights-secured-to-the-citizens-under-the-constitution-are/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [To extraordinary powers of labor, both mental and physical, he unites that tact and judgement which are requisite to the successful direction of such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/to-extraordinary-powers-of-labor-both-mental-and-physical-he-unites/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [“Fun is having lots to do and not doing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/fun-is-having-lots-to-do-and-not-doing-it/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [It is one of the serious evils of our present system of banking , that it enables one class of society - and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/it-is-one-of-the-serious-evils-of-our-present-system-of-banking-that/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [In England the judges should have independence to protect the people against the crown. Here the judges should not be independent of the people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/in-england-the-judges-should-have-independence-to-protect-the-people/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) [Explore all 172 Andrew Jackson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) ## More Evils quotes > [The so-called evils are evils only in relation to a certain thing, and that which is evil in relation to a certain existing thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/the-so-called-evils-are-evils-only-in-relation-to-a-certain-thing-and/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [In the history of man it has been very generally the case that when evils have grown insufferable they have touched the point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/in-the-history-of-man-it-has-been-very-generally-the-case-that-when/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Imaginary evils are incurable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/imaginary-evils-are-incurable/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [There are evils that have the ability to survive identification and go on for ever... money, for instance, or war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-are-evils-that-have-the-ability-to-survive-identification-and/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Of your philosophy you makeno use If you give place to accidental evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/of-your-philosophy-you-makeno-use-if-you-give-place-to-accidental/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-had-to-endure-were-inflicted/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“So then, according to Jesus, the ‘evils’ which we think, say and do are not due primarily to our environment, nor are they bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/so-then-according-to-jesus-the-evils-which-we-think-say-and-do-are/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“Hope is the worst of evils because it protracts torment.” “Your”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/hope-is-the-worst-of-evils-because-it-protracts-torment-your/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [The only important property of evils of the past is that they not be repeated in the future, in any way, shape, or form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-naggum/the-only-important-property-of-evils-of-the-past-is-that-they-not-be/) [Erik Naggum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-naggum/) > [To repay evils with kindness is the religion I was taught to practise, and this will forever be my rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-james-audubon/to-repay-evils-with-kindness-is-the-religion-i-was-taught-to-practise/) [John James Audubon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-james-audubon/) > [“The wicked know that if the ill they do be of sufficient horror that men will not speak against it. That men have just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-wicked-know-that-if-the-ill-they-do-be-of-sufficient-horror-that/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [They who talk much of destiny, their birth-star, etc., are in a lower dangerous plane, and invite the evils they fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/they-who-talk-much-of-destiny-their-birth-star-etc-are-in-a-lower/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Trump is literally the epitome of evil, all the evils of this country - be it racism, capitalism, sexism, homophobia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/trump-is-literally-the-epitome-of-evil-all-the-evils-of-this-country/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [“If we want truth and justice to rule our global village, there must be no hypocrisy. If there is no truth, then there will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/if-we-want-truth-and-justice-to-rule-our-global-village-there-must-be/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) Browse all 300 Evils quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are no necessary evils in government. 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