--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Government exists for one purpose: to…" description: "\"Government exists for one purpose: to make things better for all people.\" — Eleanor Roosevelt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_government_government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-mak_220069.jpg" --- # Government exists for one purpose: to make things better… ![“Government exists for one purpose: to make things better for all people.” quote by Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_government_government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-mak_220069.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_government_government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-mak_220069.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_government_government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-mak_220069.jpg) > “Government exists for one purpose: to make things better for all people.” [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## 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 serve to improve collective well‑being and ensure fairness for everyone. **In simple terms:** Government exists to improve life for all. Key Takeaway Focus on policies that benefit the many. Themes public service equity social welfare Mood optimistic serious Type ethical political When to use this quote - policy making - community programs - social reforms Key Concepts democracy public good collective responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can we measure if policies truly benefit all? - What obstacles prevent equitable outcomes? A Different Perspective Implementation can be hindered by bureaucracy and competing interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) ## Related quotes > [“The government exists for one purpose—to take everything away from you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-wallace/the-government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-take-everything-away-from-you/) [Scott Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-wallace/) > [So we must lay it down that the association which is a state exists not for the purpose of living together but for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/so-we-must-lay-it-down-that-the-association-which-is-a-state-exists-2/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Nothing exists without a purpose. Every experience you have in this lifetime was written for you to grow into the light you were meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/nothing-exists-without-a-purpose-every-experience-you-have-in-this/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [The church exists primarily for two closely correlated purposes: to worship God and to work for his kingdom in the world ... The church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-church-exists-primarily-for-two-closely-correlated-purposes-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nobody exists on purpose. Nobody belongs anywhere. Everybody's gonna die. Come watch TV”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morty/nobody-exists-on-purpose-nobody-belongs-anywhere-everybody-s-gonna/) Morty > [Try to make things that can become better in other people’s minds than they were in yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/try-to-make-things-that-can-become-better-in-other-people-s-minds/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [“And how much simpler things would be, how much better for us all, if we had people brave enough to do what was right,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/and-how-much-simpler-things-would-be-how-much-better-for-us-all-if-we/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [To have a job where you can make things better for people? That's a blessing. Why would I do anything else?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marla-ruzicka/to-have-a-job-where-you-can-make-things-better-for-people-that-s-a/) Marla Ruzicka > [My M.O. over the years is that I make things better, where people give me that freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ironside/my-m-o-over-the-years-is-that-i-make-things-better-where-people-give/) [Michael Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ironside/) > [If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don’t do that, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/if-you-have-a-chance-to-accomplish-something-that-will-make-things/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [I've been called worse things by better people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/i-ve-been-called-worse-things-by-better-people/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [You don't really think that things will ever get better, but they do. People always ask me, "What would you say to gay teen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/you-don-t-really-think-that-things-will-ever-get-better-but-they-do/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/i-believe-that-people-have-a-right-to-decide-their-own-destinies/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [A fundamental premise of American democratic theory is that government exists to serve the people. ... Public records are one portal through which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/a-fundamental-premise-of-american-democratic-theory-is-that/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [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 ## More by Eleanor Roosevelt > [My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-experience-has-been-that-work-is-almost-the-best-way-to-pull/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [experience should teach us that it is always the unexpected that does occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/experience-should-teach-us-that-it-is-always-the-unexpected-that-does/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [To be mature you have to realize what you value most... Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one's own values is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/to-be-mature-you-have-to-realize-what-you-value-most-not-to-arrive-at/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I'm enormously interested in freedom and retaining the right to have whatever economy we want and to shape it as we want and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-m-enormously-interested-in-freedom-and-retaining-the-right-to-have/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-look-fear-in-the-face-you-are-able-to-say-to-yourself-i/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-destiny-of-human-rights-is-in-the-hands-of-all-our-citizens-in/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [You can never really live anyone else's life, not even your child's. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/you-can-never-really-live-anyone-else-s-life-not-even-your-child-s/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“One of the things I believe most intensely is that every child’s why should be answered with care—and with respect. If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-things-i-believe-most-intensely-is-that-every-child-s-why/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [What we must learn to do is to create unbreakable bonds between the sciences and the humanities. We cannot procrastinate. The world of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-we-must-learn-to-do-is-to-create-unbreakable-bonds-between-the/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Some friends leave footprints in your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-friends-leave-footprints-in-your-heart/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man grow to greater dignity as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/if-we-want-a-free-and-peaceful-world-if-we-want-to-make-the-deserts/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) [Explore all 612 Eleanor Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## More Government quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [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/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Louisiana's spicy, colorful politics have saddled our state with a reputation for tolerating lax ethical standards in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/louisiana-s-spicy-colorful-politics-have-saddled-our-state-with-a/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [He is almost a statesman. He lies well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/he-is-almost-a-statesman-he-lies-well/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [We can't have a government that will collapse in three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/we-can-t-have-a-government-that-will-collapse-in-three-months/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Browse all 21,248 Government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Government exists for one purpose: to make things better for all people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eleanor Roosevelt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-make-things-better-for-all-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Government" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-make-things-better-for-all-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_government_government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-mak_220069.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_government_government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-mak_220069.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/eleanor-roosevelt-381_government_government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-mak_220069.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Government exists for one purpose: to make things better for all people.” — Eleanor Roosevelt", "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": "Eleanor Roosevelt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Government exists for one purpose: to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-make-things-better-for-all-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/government-exists-for-one-purpose-to-make-things-better-for-all-people/#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 } } ] } ```