--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That government is best which governs the…" description: "\"That government is best which governs the least, so taught the courageous founders of this nation. This simple declaration is diametrically opposed to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/ezra-taft-benson-443_common_that-government-is-best-which-governs-th_64687.jpg" --- # That government is best which governs the least, so taught… ![“That government is best which governs the least, so taught the courageous founders of this nation. This simple declaration is diametrically opposed to the all too common philosophy that the government should protect and support one from the cradle to the grave. The policy of the Founding Fathers…” quote by Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/ezra-taft-benson-443_common_that-government-is-best-which-governs-th_64687.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/ezra-taft-benson-443_common_that-government-is-best-which-governs-th_64687.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc7/ezra-taft-benson-443_common_that-government-is-best-which-governs-th_64687.jpg) > “That government is best which governs the least, so taught the courageous founders of this nation. This simple declaration is diametrically opposed to the all too common philosophy that the government should protect and support one from the cradle to the grave. The policy of the Founding Fathers has made our people and our nation strong. The opposite leads inevitably to moral decay.” [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates minimal government intervention, arguing that limited state power fosters individual responsibility and societal strength, while extensive welfare erodes moral character. **In simple terms:** Less government, more liberty. Key Takeaway Small government preserves virtue. Themes individualism limited government personal responsibility moral decay founding principles Mood defiant patriotic critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - citizen education - community building - civic discourse Key Concepts political philosophy social contract public policy Practical Applications - advocacy for deregulation - designing welfare reforms Questions to Reflect On - How does government size affect civic virtue? - What balance between freedom and support is optimal? A Different Perspective Some argue that a robust safety net can empower citizens and reduce inequality, challenging the notion that any assistance leads to moral decline. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courageous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courageous/) [Cradle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cradle/) [Decay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decay/) [Declaration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/declaration/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Founders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founders/) [Founding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founding/) [Founding fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founding-fathers/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-best-862352/) [Government Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-protect/) [Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graves/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral decay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-decay/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-government-866884/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [Policy Founding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy-founding-867831/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) ## Related quotes > [That the sole object and only legitimate end of government is to protect the citizen in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/that-the-sole-object-and-only-legitimate-end-of-government-is-to/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-philosophy-of-the-school-room-in-one-generation-will-be-the/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation is the philosophy of government in the next.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-philosophy-of-the-schoolroom-in-one-generation-is-the-philosophy/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [For me, it all begins with faith; it begins with what matters most, and I try and put what I believe to be moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/for-me-it-all-begins-with-faith-it-begins-with-what-matters-most-and/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [If we turn to the differences separating Communist, Fascist, and National Socialist regimes, we find that they can be accounted for by contrasting social,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-pipes/if-we-turn-to-the-differences-separating-communist-fascist-and/) [Richard Pipes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-pipes/) > [Maybe it's my libertarian philosophy: but being in government is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bolton/maybe-it-s-my-libertarian-philosophy-but-being-in-government-is-hard/) [John Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bolton/) > [ I think that \[there is\] this fundamental right to privacy and the philosophy that government shouldn't be intrusive. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/i-think-that-there-is-this-fundamental-right-to-privacy-and-the/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [In the 1980s... it was a liberal philosophy of government that changed the rules to suit its own political ends. 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