--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That government is best which governs not…" description: "\"That government is best which governs not at all; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.\" — Henry ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_anarchism_that-government-is-best-which-governs-no_1145229.jpg" --- # That government is best which governs not at all; and when… ![“That government is best which governs not at all; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_anarchism_that-government-is-best-which-governs-no_1145229.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_anarchism_that-government-is-best-which-governs-no_1145229.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_anarchism_that-government-is-best-which-governs-no_1145229.jpg) > “That government is best which governs not at all; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The ideal government is minimal; when citizens are ready, they will shape it themselves. **In simple terms:** Minimal government works when people are prepared. Key Takeaway Foster civic readiness and responsibility. Themes politics freedom self‑governance Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - community meetings - local initiatives - education on rights - public policy debates Key Concepts Libertarianism social contract citizen empowerment Questions to Reflect On - Are you prepared to take civic responsibility? - How can communities build readiness? A Different Perspective Too little governance can lead to disorder without strong civic structures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anarchism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchism/) [Anarchist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchist/) [Best Governs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-governs-862351/) [Civil disobedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-disobedience/) [Disobedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disobedience/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-best-862352/) [Governs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governs/) [Governs Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governs-men-1906875/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-government-351626/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Prepared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prepared/) ## Related quotes > [Government is best which governs least](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/government-is-best-which-governs-least/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/that-government-is-best-which-governs-the-least-because-its-people/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“That government is best that governs not at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/that-government-is-best-that-governs-not-at-all/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [That government is best which governs least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/that-government-is-best-which-governs-least/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/that-government-is-best-which-governs-least-and-i-should-like-to-see/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-heartily-accept-the-motto-that-government-is-best-which-governs/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [That government is best which governs least, because its people discipline themselves. If we are directed from Washington (heads of an organization) when to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/that-government-is-best-which-governs-least-because-its-people/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The superior man governs men, according to their nature, with what is proper to them, and as soon as they change what is wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-superior-man-governs-men-according-to-their-nature-with-what-is/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-heartily-accept-the-motto-that-government-is-best-which-governs-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It is perfectly true that that government is best which governs least. It is equally true that that government is best which provides most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/it-is-perfectly-true-that-that-government-is-best-which-governs-least/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [To take an analogy: if we say that a democratic government is the best kind of government, we mean that it most completely fulfills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-drinkwater/to-take-an-analogy-if-we-say-that-a-democratic-government-is-the-best/) [John Drinkwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-drinkwater/) > [A famous, very often quoted phrase says: "That government is best, which governs least." I do not believe this to be a correct description…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/a-famous-very-often-quoted-phrase-says-that-government-is-best-which/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [The government that governs best, governs best!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-government-that-governs-best-governs-best/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [What governs men is the fear of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/what-governs-men-is-the-fear-of-truth/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/let-every-man-make-known-what-kind-of-government-would-command-his/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Anarchism quotes > [I know one thing: that you can do a lot of things but if you don't educate people into conscious anarchism it gets frittered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-know-one-thing-that-you-can-do-a-lot-of-things-but-if-you-don-t/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [In morals as in politics anarchy is not for the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/in-morals-as-in-politics-anarchy-is-not-for-the-weak/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [“Do not all theists insist that there can be no morality, no justice, honesty or fidelity without the belief in a Divine Power? Based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/do-not-all-theists-insist-that-there-can-be-no-morality-no-justice/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“Does it follow that I reject all authority? Perish the thought. In the matter of boots, I defer to the authority of the bootmaker;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/does-it-follow-that-i-reject-all-authority-perish-the-thought-in-the/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [“An anarchist government somehow creates an impression in the hearts of citizens that no one cares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-anarchist-government-somehow-creates-an-impression-in-the-hearts/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Anarchism as a political philosophy seeks to dissolve all forms of authority and power, and if possible, wishes their complete abolition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/anarchism-as-a-political-philosophy-seeks-to-dissolve-all-forms-of/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [And now, what has Anarchism to say to all this, this bankruptcy of republicanism, this modern empire that has grown up on the ruins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltairine-de-cleyre/and-now-what-has-anarchism-to-say-to-all-this-this-bankruptcy-of/) [Voltairine de Cleyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltairine-de-cleyre/) > [I see anarchism as the theoretical ideal to which we are all gradually evolving to a point where everybody can tell the truth to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/i-see-anarchism-as-the-theoretical-ideal-to-which-we-are-all/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [Anarchists are opposed to violence; everyone knows that. The main plank of anarchism is the removal of violence from human relations. It is life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errico-malatesta/anarchists-are-opposed-to-violence-everyone-knows-that-the-main-plank/) [Errico Malatesta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errico-malatesta/) > [“They knew that their anarchism was the product of a very high civilization, of a complex diversified culture, of a stable economy and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/they-knew-that-their-anarchism-was-the-product-of-a-very-high/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Anarchism means voluntary co-operation instead of forced participation. It means harmony and order in place of interference and disorder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/anarchism-means-voluntary-co-operation-instead-of-forced/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [The Anarchists are simply unterrified Jeffersonian Democrats. They believe that 'the best government is that which governs least,' and that which governs least is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-tucker/the-anarchists-are-simply-unterrified-jeffersonian-democrats-they/) [Benjamin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-tucker/) > [We must therefore turn to history for enlightenment; here we find that none of the proclaimed anarchist groups correspond to the libertarian position, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/we-must-therefore-turn-to-history-for-enlightenment-here-we-find-that/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [“I became an anarchist very early on. Anarchism, in my mind, meant taking democracy seriously and organizing prefiguratively- that is, in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrej-gruba-i/i-became-an-anarchist-very-early-on-anarchism-in-my-mind-meant-taking/) [Andrej Grubačić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrej-gruba-i/) [Browse all 388 Anarchism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That government is best which governs not at all; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/that-government-is-best-which-governs-not-at-all-and-when-men-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anarchism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/that-government-is-best-which-governs-not-at-all-and-when-men-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_anarchism_that-government-is-best-which-governs-no_1145229.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_anarchism_that-government-is-best-which-governs-no_1145229.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_anarchism_that-government-is-best-which-governs-no_1145229.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That government is best which governs not at all; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of…” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That government is best which governs...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/that-government-is-best-which-governs-not-at-all-and-when-men-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/that-government-is-best-which-governs-not-at-all-and-when-men-are/#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 } } ] } ```