--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No form of government can survive that…" description: "\"No form of government can survive that excludes dictatorship when the life of the nation is at stake.\" — Clinton Rossiter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/clinton-rossiter-33874_dictatorship_no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-e_2868260.png" --- # No form of government can survive that excludes… ![“No form of government can survive that excludes dictatorship when the life of the nation is at stake.” quote by Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/clinton-rossiter-33874_dictatorship_no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-e_2868260.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/clinton-rossiter-33874_dictatorship_no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-e_2868260.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/clinton-rossiter-33874_dictatorship_no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-e_2868260.png) > “No form of government can survive that excludes dictatorship when the life of the nation is at stake.” [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A government must be willing to adopt strong, decisive leadership in crises to protect the nation. **In simple terms:** Strong leadership may be needed in emergencies. Key Takeaway Be prepared to support decisive action when necessary. Themes government crisis leadership politics Mood concerned serious Type political warning When to use this quote - national emergencies - war - public health crises - economic collapse Key Concepts authoritarianism state security democratic theory Questions to Reflect On - When is it justified to suspend normal governance? - How can safeguards be built? A Different Perspective Such measures risk eroding civil liberties and democratic norms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dictatorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictatorship/) [Dictatorship Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictatorship-life-3909906/) [Excludes Dictatorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excludes-dictatorship-3909905/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Form Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form-government/) [Forms of government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forms-of-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Survive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-survive-868240/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Stakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stakes/) ## Related quotes > [Democracy is the worst form of government. It is the most inefficient, the most clumsy, the most unpractical… It reduces wisdom to impotence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-briffault/democracy-is-the-worst-form-of-government-it-is-the-most-inefficient/) [Robert Briffault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-briffault/) > [The best form of government is one that is dying, because that means it’s giving way to something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/the-best-form-of-government-is-one-that-is-dying-because-that-means/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [Now it is evident that the form of government is best in which every man, whoever he is, can act best and live happily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/now-it-is-evident-that-the-form-of-government-is-best-in-which-every/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [A form of government that is not the result of a long sequence of shared experiences, efforts, and endeavors can never take root.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/a-form-of-government-that-is-not-the-result-of-a-long-sequence-of/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Without God, there would be no American form of Government, nor an American way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/without-god-there-would-be-no-american-form-of-government-nor-an/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Each generation has a right to choose for itself the form of government it believes most promotive of its happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/each-generation-has-a-right-to-choose-for-itself-the-form-of/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Democracy, taken in its narrower, purely political, sense, suffers from the fact that those in economic and political power possess the means for molding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/democracy-taken-in-its-narrower-purely-political-sense-suffers-from/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [All deductions having been made, democracy has done less harm, and more good, than any other form of government. It gave to human existence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/all-deductions-having-been-made-democracy-has-done-less-harm-and-more/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [We are fighting to save a great and precious form of government for ourselves and for the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt-2/we-are-fighting-to-save-a-great-and-precious-form-of-government-for/) [Franklin D Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt-2/) > [The legislator should direct his attention above all to the education of youth; for the neglect of education does harm to the constitution. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-legislator-should-direct-his-attention-above-all-to-the-education/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-fraser-tytler/a-democracy-cannot-exist-as-a-permanent-form-of-government-it-can/) [Alexander Fraser Tytler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-fraser-tytler/) > [Decision by democratic majority vote is a fine form of government, but it's a stinking way to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/decision-by-democratic-majority-vote-is-a-fine-form-of-government-but/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I and others of my sex find ourselves controlled by a form of government in the inauguration of which we had no voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-woodhull/i-and-others-of-my-sex-find-ourselves-controlled-by-a-form-of/) [Victoria Woodhull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-woodhull/) > [Any nations right to a form of government and economic system of its own choosing is inalienable. Any nations attempt to dictate to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/any-nations-right-to-a-form-of-government-and-economic-system-of-its/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Democracy is not a form of government. It is a political philosophy that can be embodied in various systems of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-allen-fraser/democracy-is-not-a-form-of-government-it-is-a-political-philosophy/) [John Allen Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-allen-fraser/) ## More by Clinton Rossiter > [Conservatism is the worship of dead revolutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/conservatism-is-the-worship-of-dead-revolutions/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [In the end, the difference between Conservatism and Liberalism seems to be this: the Conservative thinks of liberty as something to be preserved, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/in-the-end-the-difference-between-conservatism-and-liberalism-seems/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [The establishment of religious freedom was no less momentous an achievement than the clearing of the great forest or the winning of independence, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/the-establishment-of-religious-freedom-was-no-less-momentous-an/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [No America without democracy, no democracy without politics no politics without parties, no parties without compromise and moderation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/no-america-without-democracy-no-democracy-without-politics-no/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [The most momentous fact about the pattern of American politics is that we live under a persistent, obdurate, one might almost say tyrannical, two-party…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/the-most-momentous-fact-about-the-pattern-of-american-politics-is/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [The image the Republicans have of themselves needs the image they have of the Democrats to bring it into sharp focus. The Democrats are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/the-image-the-republicans-have-of-themselves-needs-the-image-they/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [A gathering of Democrats is more sweaty, disorderly, offhand, and rowdy than a gathering of Republicans; it is also likely to be more cheerful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/a-gathering-of-democrats-is-more-sweaty-disorderly-offhand-and-rowdy/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [An annual or frequent choice of Magistrates, who in a year, or in a few years, are again left upon a level with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/an-annual-or-frequent-choice-of-magistrates-who-in-a-year-or-in-a-few/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [There is "no happiness without liberty, no liberty without self-government, no self-government without constitutionalism, no constitutionalism without morality--and none of these great goods without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/there-is-no-happiness-without-liberty-no-liberty-without-self/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [The final greatness of the presidency lies in the truth that it is not just an office of incredible power but a breeding ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/the-final-greatness-of-the-presidency-lies-in-the-truth-that-it-is/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [The Americans of 1776 were among the first men in modern society to defend rather than to seek an open society and constitutional liberty……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/the-americans-of-1776-were-among-the-first-men-in-modern-society-to/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [Dictatorship played a decisive role in the North's successful effort to maintain the Union by force of arms...one man was the government of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/dictatorship-played-a-decisive-role-in-the-north-s-successful-effort/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) > [Even if a government can be constitutional without being democratic, it cannot be democratic without being constitutional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/even-if-a-government-can-be-constitutional-without-being-democratic/) [Clinton Rossiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) [Explore all 14 Clinton Rossiter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/) ## More Dictatorship quotes > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Dictatorship is rule based directly upon force and unrestricted by any laws. The revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat is rule won and maintained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/dictatorship-is-rule-based-directly-upon-force-and-unrestricted-by/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The situation with Tibet has to change. China is one of the last huge dictatorships, holding on to these colonies, provinces. That has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-yauch/the-situation-with-tibet-has-to-change-china-is-one-of-the-last-huge/) [Adam Yauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-yauch/) > [Motherland is our property and we have right to handle our properties as pleased. The jokes about death for the sake of the motherland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/motherland-is-our-property-and-we-have-right-to-handle-our-properties/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Your best friends are your principles, if you havent them, dont look for another friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/your-best-friends-are-your-principles-if-you-havent-them-dont-look/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“. Despite the considerable horror they had felt when the SA men were bellowing crude anti-Semitic slogans, in retrospect the joke-tellers were very much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-herzog/despite-the-considerable-horror-they-had-felt-when-the-sa-men-were/) [Rudolph Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolph-herzog/) > [A strong saying is not afraid of criticism, because it includes all the answers to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/a-strong-saying-is-not-afraid-of-criticism-because-it-includes-all/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [The dictatorship of the proletariat and the leadership of the Marxist-Leninist party are indispensable conditions for the triumph of the Socialist revolution and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-khrushchev/the-dictatorship-of-the-proletariat-and-the-leadership-of-the-marxist/) [Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-khrushchev/) > [I never thought about becoming a politician. But during the military dictatorship, my grandfather was put in prison six times and my father twice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-papandreou/i-never-thought-about-becoming-a-politician-but-during-the-military/) [George Papandreou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-papandreou/) > [ “\[...\] dictatorship, the most extreme form of tyranny, can never lead to social liberation.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/dictatorship-the-most-extreme-form-of-tyranny-can-never-lead-to/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I'm not a prophet, but I always thought it was natural for dictatorships to fall. I remember in 1989, two months before the fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-m-not-a-prophet-but-i-always-thought-it-was-natural-for/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [In many ways, the media today makes dictatorship impossible. But it also makes democracy intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/in-many-ways-the-media-today-makes-dictatorship-impossible-but-it/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [“Your law always does more harm than crime, and your morality is a form of violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bond/your-law-always-does-more-harm-than-crime-and-your-morality-is-a-form/) [Edward Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bond/) > [Something that comes to us, some gym shoe that comes to us as a result of child labor from a brutal dictatorship, where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/something-that-comes-to-us-some-gym-shoe-that-comes-to-us-as-a-result/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) [Browse all 793 Dictatorship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictatorship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No form of government can survive that excludes dictatorship when the life of the nation is at stake.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clinton Rossiter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-excludes-dictatorship-when-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dictatorship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-excludes-dictatorship-when-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/clinton-rossiter-33874_dictatorship_no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-e_2868260.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/clinton-rossiter-33874_dictatorship_no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-e_2868260.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fd/clinton-rossiter-33874_dictatorship_no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-e_2868260.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No form of government can survive that excludes dictatorship when the life of the nation is at stake.” — Clinton Rossiter", "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": "Clinton Rossiter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-rossiter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No form of government can survive...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-excludes-dictatorship-when-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-rossiter/no-form-of-government-can-survive-that-excludes-dictatorship-when-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 } } ] } ```