--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need a Federal government that does…" description: "\"We need a Federal government that does what the government needs to do and stops doing what the government ought not to be doing.\" — Grover Norquist" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/grover-norquist-3806_does_we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-w_3184909.png" --- # We need a Federal government that does what the government… ![“We need a Federal government that does what the government needs to do and stops doing what the government ought not to be doing.” quote by Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/grover-norquist-3806_does_we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-w_3184909.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/grover-norquist-3806_does_we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-w_3184909.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/grover-norquist-3806_does_we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-w_3184909.png) > “We need a Federal government that does what the government needs to do and stops doing what the government ought not to be doing.” [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) ## 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 focus on essential duties and avoid overreaching. **In simple terms:** Government must stick to core tasks. Key Takeaway Limit government to necessary functions. Themes politics government efficiency Mood critical concerned Type political policy When to use this quote - legislation - public services - budgeting - regulation Key Concepts Public policy limited government Questions to Reflect On - What functions are truly essential? - How can we prevent overreach? A Different Perspective Balancing necessary services with overreach is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Federal government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/federal-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [We need federal legislation guaranteeing paid family and medical leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wu/we-need-federal-legislation-guaranteeing-paid-family-and-medical-leave/) [Michelle Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wu/) > [Wireless carriers certainly don't need the federal government's help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/wireless-carriers-certainly-don-t-need-the-federal-government-s-help/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) > [We actually do need a federal government, but we need a limited one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government-but-we-need-a-limited-one/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [The federal government needs to get off the backs of small businesses and let the private sector grow and create jobs instead of harnessing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-salmon/the-federal-government-needs-to-get-off-the-backs-of-small-businesses/) [Matt Salmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-salmon/) > [The federal government needs a strategic approach that includes strong leadership and the ability to manage weather related risks. The challenge of developing such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cartwright/the-federal-government-needs-a-strategic-approach-that-includes/) [Matt Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cartwright/) > [Your federal government needs your money so that it can perform vital services for you that you would not think up yourself in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/your-federal-government-needs-your-money-so-that-it-can-perform-vital/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [The federal government does not trample in jackboots those with whom it does business. It wraps them in cotton batting and, when they express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/the-federal-government-does-not-trample-in-jackboots-those-with-whom/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [What the federal government does basically is borrow money from people and mail it to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/what-the-federal-government-does-basically-is-borrow-money-from/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [There isn't one thing the federal government does that anybody in Big Business would emulate, at least not in the profit sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-isn-t-one-thing-the-federal-government-does-that-anybody-in-big/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [No state can invest the kinds of dollars in infrastructure necessary on their own. They need federal help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-casey-jr/no-state-can-invest-the-kinds-of-dollars-in-infrastructure-necessary/) [Bob Casey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-casey-jr/) > [The fact that Washington has been a complete logjam for anything for the last six years has got to change because we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/the-fact-that-washington-has-been-a-complete-logjam-for-anything-for/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Why do we need a federal Department of Education? Curriculum should be driven at the local level anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/why-do-we-need-a-federal-department-of-education-curriculum-should-be/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [What we need is not more Federal government, but better local government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/what-we-need-is-not-more-federal-government-but-better-local/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [We do need the federal government to share information with us. We need local governments to increase supply. We need affordable places for people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-clark/we-do-need-the-federal-government-to-share-information-with-us-we/) [Christy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-clark/) > [Outside of a few national security issues like treason that the Constitution lays out, we don't need federal crimes, and we don't need federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-woodall/outside-of-a-few-national-security-issues-like-treason-that-the/) [Rob Woodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-woodall/) ## More by Grover Norquist > [When I became 21, I decided that nobody learned anything about politics after the age of 21.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/when-i-became-21-i-decided-that-nobody-learned-anything-about/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [If you feel the government should leave you alone, you're a Republican. If you think the job of the government is to go push…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/if-you-feel-the-government-should-leave-you-alone-you-re-a-republican/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Spending should be transparent. All spending by the Pentagon should be online. Every check. Exceptions should be made for legitimate national security issues. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/spending-should-be-transparent-all-spending-by-the-pentagon-should-be/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Twenty-five years ago, I created the Taxpayer Protection Pledge at the federal level. Then I brought it to the state and local level. About…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/twenty-five-years-ago-i-created-the-taxpayer-protection-pledge-at-the/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Could I ask if there’s anything in between Step One and Step Two? ‘Oh ye of little faith.’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/could-i-ask-if-there-s-anything-in-between-step-one-and-step-two-oh/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [We will make it so that a Democrat cannot govern as a Democrat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/we-will-make-it-so-that-a-democrat-cannot-govern-as-a-democrat/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Spending is not caring. Spending is what politicians do instead of caring. Spending more does not guarantee success. Politicians like to measure spending because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/spending-is-not-caring-spending-is-what-politicians-do-instead-of/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [I know the activists I deal with, we sort of try and check each other to make sure that we haven't gone native, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/i-know-the-activists-i-deal-with-we-sort-of-try-and-check-each-other/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [I was an anti-communist before I was political in other ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/i-was-an-anti-communist-before-i-was-political-in-other-ways/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Historically, opposition to immigration in the United States has been racially and religiously motivated in the ugliest, nastiest way possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/historically-opposition-to-immigration-in-the-united-states-has-been/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [The important thing about tax reform is you make the tax code less complicated, easier for people to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/the-important-thing-about-tax-reform-is-you-make-the-tax-code-less/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Not continuing a tax cut is not technically a tax increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/not-continuing-a-tax-cut-is-not-technically-a-tax-increase/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [People who say that there's a vote within the Republican Party that moves against immigrants is just factually not accurate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/people-who-say-that-there-s-a-vote-within-the-republican-party-that/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [We want to reduce the size of government in half as a percentage of GNP over the next 25 years. We want to reduce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/we-want-to-reduce-the-size-of-government-in-half-as-a-percentage-of/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [The welfare state creates its own victim/client constituency. By making individuals free and independent, we reduce the need for 'charity' to those truly needy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/the-welfare-state-creates-its-own-victim-client-constituency-by/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) [Explore all 121 Grover Norquist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) ## More Does quotes > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [Life does not owe me a shred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-harper/life-does-not-owe-me-a-shred/) [Valerie Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-harper/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [I does wat I does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-does-wat-i-does/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't see myself being married more than once, but who does?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/i-don-t-see-myself-being-married-more-than-once-but-who-does/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) > [Mother Nature does not do bailouts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/mother-nature-does-not-do-bailouts/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [A conversation does not have to be scintillating in order to be memorable. I once met a president of the United States, and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cavett/a-conversation-does-not-have-to-be-scintillating-in-order-to-be/) [Dick Cavett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cavett/) > [I love James Cameron. I love what he does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zal-batmanglij/i-love-james-cameron-i-love-what-he-does/) [Zal Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zal-batmanglij/) > [Instruction does much, but encouragement everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/instruction-does-much-but-encouragement-everything/) [Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think I have a lot of internal energy, which does need to come out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/i-think-i-have-a-lot-of-internal-energy-which-does-need-to-come-out/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [Liberty does not exist where rights are on one side and power on the other. To be liberty, rights must be armed with vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/liberty-does-not-exist-where-rights-are-on-one-side-and-power-on-the/) [Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/) > [How does a project get to be a year late? One day at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-does-a-project-get-to-be-a-year-late-one-day-at-a-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“How much does an elephant weigh? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-patton/how-much-does-an-elephant-weigh/) Rhonda Patton > [I have many moments of self doubt. Everybody does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/i-have-many-moments-of-self-doubt-everybody-does/) [Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/) Browse all 3,556 Does quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We need a Federal government that does what the government needs to do and stops doing what the government ought not to be doing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Grover Norquist" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-what-the-government-needs-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Does" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-what-the-government-needs-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/grover-norquist-3806_does_we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-w_3184909.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/grover-norquist-3806_does_we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-w_3184909.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/grover-norquist-3806_does_we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-w_3184909.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We need a Federal government that does what the government needs to do and stops doing what the government…” — Grover Norquist", "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": "Grover Norquist", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We need a Federal government that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-what-the-government-needs-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-what-the-government-needs-to/#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 } } ] } ```