--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The purpose and function of government is…" description: "\"The purpose and function of government is not to preside over change but to prevent change. By political methods when unavoidable, by violence when con..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/edward-abbey-254_change_the-purpose-and-function-of-government-i_1527572.jpg" --- # The purpose and function of government is not to preside… ![“The purpose and function of government is not to preside over change but to prevent change. By political methods when unavoidable, by violence when convenient.” quote by Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/edward-abbey-254_change_the-purpose-and-function-of-government-i_1527572.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/edward-abbey-254_change_the-purpose-and-function-of-government-i_1527572.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84a/edward-abbey-254_change_the-purpose-and-function-of-government-i_1527572.jpg) > “The purpose and function of government is not to preside over change but to prevent change. By political methods when unavoidable, by violence when convenient.” [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government should resist change, using political means only when necessary and force when convenient. **In simple terms:** Governments aim to keep things stable, using force if needed. Key Takeaway Question stability, use force sparingly. Themes government politics stability Mood cautious critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - law enforcement - public administration - social movements Key Concepts authority power dynamics coercion Questions to Reflect On - When is force justified in governance? - How can stability be maintained without oppression? A Different Perspective Force can suppress necessary progress and cause backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [“Our culture works hard to prevent change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/our-culture-works-hard-to-prevent-change/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [No great leader in history fought to prevent change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/no-great-leader-in-history-fought-to-prevent-change/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“I wonder how many times in my life I would have been able to prevent something, change something, do something different, if only I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-flinn/i-wonder-how-many-times-in-my-life-i-would-have-been-able-to-prevent/) [Alex Flinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-flinn/) > [Your race and gender don't change, but you can choose to change your political affiliation at will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/your-race-and-gender-don-t-change-but-you-can-choose-to-change-your/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [I do think the Cubans have to change some of the political structures there and allow critical voices, for their own sakes, because unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/i-do-think-the-cubans-have-to-change-some-of-the-political-structures/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [Look at what I've done my entire life. I have been working on behalf of civil rights, women's rights, human rights for years and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/look-at-what-i-ve-done-my-entire-life-i-have-been-working-on-behalf/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [There's no unifying brand about me other than I'm a writer who shares my thoughts. Sometimes my thoughts are designed to help people, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-cernovich/there-s-no-unifying-brand-about-me-other-than-i-m-a-writer-who-shares/) [Mike Cernovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-cernovich/) > [We have got to change the political culture in America. We need a political revolution. That means we are working on politics not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/we-have-got-to-change-the-political-culture-in-america-we-need-a/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I try not to change my political point of view from paper to paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-shapiro/i-try-not-to-change-my-political-point-of-view-from-paper-to-paper/) [Jonathan Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-shapiro/) > [Women need to see ourselves as individuals capable of creating change. That is what political and economic power is all about: having a voice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/women-need-to-see-ourselves-as-individuals-capable-of-creating-change/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [On the contrary a film can promote the idea of change without any political message whatsoever but in its form and language can tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/on-the-contrary-a-film-can-promote-the-idea-of-change-without-any/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [Change or be changed, right? And what we mean by that is that climate change, if we don't change course, if we don't change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/change-or-be-changed-right-and-what-we-mean-by-that-is-that-climate/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Society has to change, but the political powers we have at the moment are not enough to effect this change. The whole democratic system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/society-has-to-change-but-the-political-powers-we-have-at-the-moment/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [Activists are generally doers - rather than watching television and thinking about the world they will put there energies into doing something 'active' to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-edwards/activists-are-generally-doers-rather-than-watching-television-and/) [Ben Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-edwards/) > [It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-s-hard-to-change-adults-and-it-s-hard-to-change-it-from-a/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) ## More by Edward Abbey > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Apuleius married a rich widow, then wrote \_The Golden Ass\_.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/apuleius-married-a-rich-widow-then-wrote-the-golden-ass/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Except for the scale of the operation, there was nothing unusual about Hitler's massacre of the Jews. Genocide's an old tradition, as human as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/except-for-the-scale-of-the-operation-there-was-nothing-unusual-about/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [By the age of eighteen, a human has acquired enough joy and heartache to provide the food of reflection for a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/by-the-age-of-eighteen-a-human-has-acquired-enough-joy-and-heartache/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“Our institutions are too big; they represent not the best but the worst characteristics of human beings. By submitting to huge hierarchies of power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/our-institutions-are-too-big-they-represent-not-the-best-but-the/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [No man-made structure in all of American history has been hated so much, by so many, for so long, with such good reason, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/no-man-made-structure-in-all-of-american-history-has-been-hated-so/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Where all pretend to be thinking alike, it's likely that no one is thinking at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/where-all-pretend-to-be-thinking-alike-it-s-likely-that-no-one-is/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Nobody has so many friends that he can afford to lose one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/nobody-has-so-many-friends-that-he-can-afford-to-lose-one/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“But why, the questioner insists, why do people like you pretend to love uninhabited country so much? Why this cult of wilderness? Why the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/but-why-the-questioner-insists-why-do-people-like-you-pretend-to-love/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Civilization is a youth with a molotov cocktail in his hand. Culture is the Soviet tank or L.A. cop that guns him down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/civilization-is-a-youth-with-a-molotov-cocktail-in-his-hand-culture/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [All revolutions have failed? Perhaps. But rebellion for good cause is self- justifying -- a good in itself. Rebellion transforms slaves into human beings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/all-revolutions-have-failed-perhaps-but-rebellion-for-good-cause-is/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“Me, I'm living under a sword too, as Jack may have told you. An old wino's disease, which could lay me in the grave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/me-i-m-living-under-a-sword-too-as-jack-may-have-told-you-an-old-wino/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“Look here, I want to say, for godsake folks get out of them there machines, take off those fucking sunglasses and unpeel both eyeballs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/look-here-i-want-to-say-for-godsake-folks-get-out-of-them-there/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Reason has seldom failed us because it has seldom been tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/reason-has-seldom-failed-us-because-it-has-seldom-been-tried/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“What is the essence of the art of writing? Part One: Have something to say. Part Two: Say it well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/what-is-the-essence-of-the-art-of-writing-part-one-have-something-to/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) [Explore all 807 Edward Abbey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [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/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The purpose and function of government is not to preside over change but to prevent change. 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