--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first duty of government is to…" description: "\"The first duty of government is to protect the powerless from the powerful.\" — Anonymous" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/anonymous-1_duty_the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-prote_756883.jpg" --- # The first duty of government is to protect the powerless… ![“The first duty of government is to protect the powerless from the powerful.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/anonymous-1_duty_the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-prote_756883.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/anonymous-1_duty_the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-prote_756883.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/anonymous-1_duty_the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-prote_756883.jpg) > “The first duty of government is to protect the powerless from the powerful.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government's primary role is to safeguard vulnerable individuals from those with power. **In simple terms:** Protect the weak from the strong. Key Takeaway Prioritize protecting the powerless. Themes justice power responsibility Mood concerned determined Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy making - community organizing - legal advocacy Key Concepts political theory ethics Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms ensure accountability? - How can citizens influence protective policies? A Different Perspective Balancing power can be complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Powerless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerless/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) ## Related quotes > [Every moment is a moment of choice-to feel powerless or powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-loomans/every-moment-is-a-moment-of-choice-to-feel-powerless-or-powerful/) Diana Loomans > [Of all powers, love is the most powerful and the most powerless. It is the most powerful because it alone can conquer that final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/of-all-powers-love-is-the-most-powerful-and-the-most-powerless-it-is/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/satire-is-traditionally-the-weapon-of-the-powerless-against-the/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [I have long believed that the first duty of government is to protect the safety of our citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/i-have-long-believed-that-the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-protect/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [Once the principle is admitted that it is the duty of the government to protect the individual against his own foolishness, no serious objections…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/once-the-principle-is-admitted-that-it-is-the-duty-of-the-government/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [The first duty of any government is to protect its citizens, whether the threat is a domestic one or from abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/the-first-duty-of-any-government-is-to-protect-its-citizens-whether/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [A fundamental duty of government is to protect its people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-henry/a-fundamental-duty-of-government-is-to-protect-its-people/) [Brad Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-henry/) > [We must make it an imperative duty of our government to protect the gifts which Nature has bestowed on America and to insure the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lincoln-rockwell/we-must-make-it-an-imperative-duty-of-our-government-to-protect-the/) [George Lincoln Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lincoln-rockwell/) > [The first duty of government is to protect the citizen from assault. Unless it does this, all the civil rights and civil liberties in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-viguerie/the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-protect-the-citizen-from-assault/) [Richard Viguerie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-viguerie/) > [As to religion, I hold it to be the indispensable duty of all government to protect all conscientious professors thereof, and I know of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/as-to-religion-i-hold-it-to-be-the-indispensable-duty-of-all/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What we actually learn, from any given set of circumstances, determines whether we become increasingly powerless or more powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaine-lee/what-we-actually-learn-from-any-given-set-of-circumstances-determines/) [Blaine Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaine-lee/) > [The whole duty of government is to prevent crime and to preserve contracts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-whole-duty-of-government-is-to-prevent-crime-and-to-preserve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The country was founded on the principle that primary role of government is to protect property from the majority, and so it remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-country-was-founded-on-the-principle-that-primary-role-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No more essential duty of government exists than the protection of the lives of its people. Fail in this, and we fail in everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-t-murphy/no-more-essential-duty-of-government-exists-than-the-protection-of/) Francis T Murphy > [It's the duty of any government: where there is disregard of the law, that law and order must be instituted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmerson-mnangagwa/it-s-the-duty-of-any-government-where-there-is-disregard-of-the-law/) [Emmerson Mnangagwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmerson-mnangagwa/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Duty quotes > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/few-political-debates-have-been-as-divisive-as-the-european-one-i/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [“Is that what they teach you at the convent? That the gods demand the hearts from our bodies?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lafevers/is-that-what-they-teach-you-at-the-convent-that-the-gods-demand-the/) [Robin LaFevers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lafevers/) > [The less we show our love to a woman, Or please her less, and neglect our duty, The more we trap and ruin her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pushkin/the-less-we-show-our-love-to-a-woman-or-please-her-less-and-neglect/) [Alexander Pushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pushkin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“You have a right to be sad, and a duty to move on. Only wins who wipes the tears, gather strength and move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusto-branco/you-have-a-right-to-be-sad-and-a-duty-to-move-on-only-wins-who-wipes/) [Augusto Branco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusto-branco/) > [Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/our-duty-as-christians-is-always-to-keep-heaven-in-our-eye-and-earth/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Regardless of how you feel about war and peace those serving military are doing a duty for the rest of us and they're protecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/regardless-of-how-you-feel-about-war-and-peace-those-serving-military/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [“Duty is a done deal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/duty-is-a-done-deal/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/i-do-not-so-much-rejoice-that-god-hath-made-me-to-be-a-queen-as-to-be/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) [Browse all 5,178 Duty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first duty of government is to protect the powerless from the powerful.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-protect-the-powerless-from-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Duty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-protect-the-powerless-from-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/anonymous-1_duty_the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-prote_756883.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/anonymous-1_duty_the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-prote_756883.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/anonymous-1_duty_the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-prote_756883.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The first duty of government is to protect the powerless from the powerful.” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The first duty of government is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-protect-the-powerless-from-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-protect-the-powerless-from-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```