Agency Quote by Henry Hazlitt
“Precisely because the State has the monopoly of coercion it can be allowed the monopoly only of coercion. Only if the modern State can be held within a strictly limited agency of duties and powers can it be prevented from regimenting, conquering, and ultimately devouring the society which gave it birth.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Economics in One Lesson, Henry Hazlitt, 1946
The state’s exclusive power to use force should be narrowly limited to prevent it from becoming oppressive and consuming society.
In simple terms: Limit state coercion to protect freedom.
Key Takeaway
Guard against state overreach.
Themes
politics
power
freedom
state authority
Mood
analytical
concerned
Type
political
theoretical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- civil rights activism
- government oversight
Key Concepts
limited government
coercive monopoly
social contract
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards effectively limit state power?
- Can any state truly stay within a limited agency?
A Different Perspective
Absolute power can still corrupt even with stated limits.
![“We have no clear ideas of the agency of [demonic] spirits, nor is it necessary. The Scripture says little to satisfy our curiosity; but tells us plainly that he is always watching us, and desiring to sift us as wheat. I believe we give him no more than his due, when we charge him with having a…” quote by John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c75/john-newton-6629_abundance_we-have-no-clear-ideas-of-the-agency-of_2907.jpg)
