---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Americans' liberty is perishing beneath…"
description: "\"Americans' liberty is perishing beneath the constant growth of government power. Federal, state and local government's are confiscating citizens' prope..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-bovard-9090_american-liberty_americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-t_1791605.png"
---

#  Americans' liberty is perishing beneath the constant…

![“Americans' liberty is perishing beneath the constant growth of government power. Federal, state and local government's are confiscating citizens' property, trampling their rights, and decimating their opportunities more than ever before… American liberty can still be rescued from the encroachments…” quote by James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-bovard-9090_american-liberty_americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-t_1791605.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-bovard-9090_american-liberty_americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-t_1791605.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-bovard-9090_american-liberty_americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-t_1791605.png)

> “Americans' liberty is perishing beneath the constant growth of government power. Federal, state and local government's are confiscating citizens' property, trampling their rights, and decimating their opportunities more than ever before… American liberty can still be rescued from the encroachments of government. The first step to saving our liberty is to realize how much we have already lost, how we lost it, and how we will continue to lose unless fundamental political changes occur.”

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Government expansion erodes individual freedoms and property rights, urging awareness and reform to protect liberty.

**In simple terms:** Government growth threatens freedom and property.

Key Takeaway

Stay informed and demand limited government.

Themes

freedom government power property rights

Mood

cautious determined

Type

political activist

When to use this quote

- tax policy
- regulation
- public protest

Key Concepts

political theory civil liberties

Questions to Reflect On

- How can citizens effectively curb government overreach?
- What historical examples show successful liberty restoration?

A Different Perspective

Reforms may be slow and face resistance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[American liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-liberty/) [Americans Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-liberty-980317/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Constant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constant/) [Encroachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encroachment/) [First step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/) [First steps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-steps/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Fundamentals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentals/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Liberty Perishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty-perishing-1950387/) [Local government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/local-government/) [Locals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locals/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Perishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perishing/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-change/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rights Decimating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-decimating-1950388/) [Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving/) [Saving Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving-liberty-1913115/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Steps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steps/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/)

## Related quotes

> [The first step in saving our liberty is to realize how much we have already lost, how we lost it, and how we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-first-step-in-saving-our-liberty-is-to-realize-how-much-we-have/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [Any individual can contribute its own belief. And our society or even our government are made by the people. The people would have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/any-individual-can-contribute-its-own-belief-and-our-society-or-even/)

[Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/)

> [Not far from here where we gather today is a symbol of freedom familiar to all Americans - the Liberty Bell. When the Declaration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/not-far-from-here-where-we-gather-today-is-a-symbol-of-freedom/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [The Founders who crafted our Constitution and Bill of Rights were careful to draft a Constitution of limited powers - one that would protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/the-founders-who-crafted-our-constitution-and-bill-of-rights-were/)

[Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/)

> [The first thing I have at heart is American liberty; the second thing is American union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/the-first-thing-i-have-at-heart-is-american-liberty-the-second-thing/)

[Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/)

> [The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-world-has-never-had-a-good-definition-of-the-word-liberty-and-the/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in the crisis, shrink from the service of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/these-are-the-times-that-try-men-s-souls-the-summer-soldier-and-the/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [Some president wishes to be re-elected, and thereupon speaks about the Bible as "the corner-stone of American Liberty." This sentence is a mouth large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/some-president-wishes-to-be-re-elected-and-thereupon-speaks-about-the/)

[Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/)

> [A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/a-general-dissolution-of-principles-and-manners-will-more-surely/)

[Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/)

> [Bloomberg's money and media access are a serious danger to American liberty and we must take him head on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/bloomberg-s-money-and-media-access-are-a-serious-danger-to-american/)

[Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/)

> [Freedom of speech is one of the greatest American liberties, and I hope this pardon serves as a reminder of the precious freedoms we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pataki/freedom-of-speech-is-one-of-the-greatest-american-liberties-and-i/)

[George Pataki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pataki/)

> [Our American liberty defines our great nation. Let us each learn and do all we can to preserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/our-american-liberty-defines-our-great-nation-let-us-each-learn-and/)

[Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/)

> [The most important fact about American liberty is that it has never been a single idea, but a set of different and even contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hackett-fischer/the-most-important-fact-about-american-liberty-is-that-it-has-never/)

[David Hackett Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hackett-fischer/)

> [What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-country-can-preserve-its-liberties-if-its-rulers-are-not-warned/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Vote for me. I'll use my office to take another American's money and give it to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/vote-for-me-i-ll-use-my-office-to-take-another-american-s-money-and/)

[Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/)

## More by James Bovard

> [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [The vision that the founding fathers had of rule of law and equality before the law and no one above the law, that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-vision-that-the-founding-fathers-had-of-rule-of-law-and-equality/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [People are so docile right now. It is almost as if good government means when the politicians lie to us for our own good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/people-are-so-docile-right-now-it-is-almost-as-if-good-government/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [It is important to recognize and politics positive thinking is often the slaves' virtue - something that people do to con themselves about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/it-is-important-to-recognize-and-politics-positive-thinking-is-often/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [If so many Americans are looking for the government to save them, then it is hard to have a dignified search for a shepherd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/if-so-many-americans-are-looking-for-the-government-to-save-them-then/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [Its contempt for citizens ... is so routine, and so unlimited, that the agency has become a kind of Frankenstein, running wild and terrorizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/its-contempt-for-citizens-is-so-routine-and-so-unlimited-that-the/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [The key question for many voters is: How much is the candidate offering for my vote?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-key-question-for-many-voters-is-how-much-is-the-candidate/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [The Federal Government is exploiting public fear to redefine the relationship between the rulers and the American people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-federal-government-is-exploiting-public-fear-to-redefine-the/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [Once freedom is equated with a certain material standard of living, confiscation becomes the path to liberation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/once-freedom-is-equated-with-a-certain-material-standard-of-living/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [Government aid programs have been endlessly expanded, and the government has sought to maximize the number of people willing to accept handouts… Roughly half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/government-aid-programs-have-been-endlessly-expanded-and-the/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [America needs fewer laws, not more prisons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/america-needs-fewer-laws-not-more-prisons/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [The more freedoms Americans lose, the more dangerous government becomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-more-freedoms-americans-lose-the-more-dangerous-government-becomes/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [The more powerful government becomes, the more abuses it commits and the more lies it must tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-more-powerful-government-becomes-the-more-abuses-it-commits-and/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [Not only has the number of government employees multiplied in recent decades, but the rise of government unions further stacks the political odds against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/not-only-has-the-number-of-government-employees-multiplied-in-recent/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [How many McDonald's gift certificates would it take to sway a lot of Americans to pledge to never publicly criticize the U.S, President?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/how-many-mcdonald-s-gift-certificates-would-it-take-to-sway-a-lot-of/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

[Explore all 75 James Bovard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

## More American liberty quotes

> [Vote for me. I'll use my office to take another American's money and give it to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/vote-for-me-i-ll-use-my-office-to-take-another-american-s-money-and/)

[Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/)

> [What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-country-can-preserve-its-liberties-if-its-rulers-are-not-warned/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [The most important fact about American liberty is that it has never been a single idea, but a set of different and even contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hackett-fischer/the-most-important-fact-about-american-liberty-is-that-it-has-never/)

[David Hackett Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hackett-fischer/)

> [Our American liberty defines our great nation. Let us each learn and do all we can to preserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/our-american-liberty-defines-our-great-nation-let-us-each-learn-and/)

[Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/)

> [Freedom of speech is one of the greatest American liberties, and I hope this pardon serves as a reminder of the precious freedoms we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pataki/freedom-of-speech-is-one-of-the-greatest-american-liberties-and-i/)

[George Pataki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pataki/)

> [Bloomberg's money and media access are a serious danger to American liberty and we must take him head on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/bloomberg-s-money-and-media-access-are-a-serious-danger-to-american/)

[Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/)

> [A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/a-general-dissolution-of-principles-and-manners-will-more-surely/)

[Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/)

> [Some president wishes to be re-elected, and thereupon speaks about the Bible as "the corner-stone of American Liberty." This sentence is a mouth large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/some-president-wishes-to-be-re-elected-and-thereupon-speaks-about-the/)

[Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/)

> [These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in the crisis, shrink from the service of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/these-are-the-times-that-try-men-s-souls-the-summer-soldier-and-the/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-world-has-never-had-a-good-definition-of-the-word-liberty-and-the/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [The first thing I have at heart is American liberty; the second thing is American union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/the-first-thing-i-have-at-heart-is-american-liberty-the-second-thing/)

[Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/)

> [Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/only-a-virtuous-people-are-capable-of-freedom-as-nations-become/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [The widespread distribution of private property ownership is the cornerstone of American liberty. Without it neither our free enterprise system nor our republican form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-h-reiman/the-widespread-distribution-of-private-property-ownership-is-the/)

[Jeffrey H Reiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-h-reiman/)

> [The first step in saving our liberty is to realize how much we have already lost, how we lost it, and how we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/the-first-step-in-saving-our-liberty-is-to-realize-how-much-we-have/)

[James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/)

> [The people cannot be all, and always well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented in proportion to the importance of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-people-cannot-be-all-and-always-well-informed-the-part-which-is-2/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

[Browse all 56 American liberty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-liberty/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Americans' liberty is perishing beneath the constant growth of government power. Federal, state and local government's are confiscating citizens' property, trampling their rights, and decimating their opportunities more than ever before… American liberty can still be rescued from the encroachments of government. The first step to saving our liberty is to realize how much we have already lost, how we lost it, and how we will continue to lose unless fundamental political changes occur.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Bovard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-the-constant-growth-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "American liberty"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-the-constant-growth-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-bovard-9090_american-liberty_americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-t_1791605.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-bovard-9090_american-liberty_americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-t_1791605.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/701/james-bovard-9090_american-liberty_americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-t_1791605.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Americans' liberty is perishing beneath the constant growth of government power. Federal, state and local…” — James Bovard",
                "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": "James Bovard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Americans' liberty is perishing beneath the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-the-constant-growth-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/americans-liberty-is-perishing-beneath-the-constant-growth-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
