--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that Americans should be deeply…" description: "\"I believe that Americans should be deeply skeptical of government power. You cannot trust people in power. The founders knew that. That's why they divi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/james-comey-17512_believe_i-believe-that-americans-should-be-deepl_1196913.jpg" --- # I believe that Americans should be deeply skeptical of… ![“I believe that Americans should be deeply skeptical of government power. You cannot trust people in power. The founders knew that. That's why they divided power among three branches, to set interest against interest.” quote by James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/james-comey-17512_believe_i-believe-that-americans-should-be-deepl_1196913.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/james-comey-17512_believe_i-believe-that-americans-should-be-deepl_1196913.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bc/james-comey-17512_believe_i-believe-that-americans-should-be-deepl_1196913.jpg) > “I believe that Americans should be deeply skeptical of government power. You cannot trust people in power. The founders knew that. That's why they divided power among three branches, to set interest against interest.” [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Americans should distrust government power, as founders designed checks and balances. **In simple terms:** Skepticism of power is vital. Key Takeaway Question authority, protect liberty. Themes government skepticism checks and balances Mood cautious determined Type political inspirational When to use this quote - voting - activism - journalism Key Concepts political theory civil liberty Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens balance skepticism with participation? - What mechanisms ensure accountability today? A Different Perspective Blind distrust can erode constructive engagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Founders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founders/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Skeptical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptical/) ## Related quotes > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Like all Americans, I am skeptical when any government agency pries into our personal and private lives under the guise of rooting out 'threats.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/like-all-americans-i-am-skeptical-when-any-government-agency-pries/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [I like BuzzFeed, and I understand the pressure that online reporters are under. But I think everyone agrees that, despite all the awesome kitten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-like-buzzfeed-and-i-understand-the-pressure-that-online-reporters/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [As social values shifted through the '80s and '90s, as modern conservatism rose to power, and as the electorate became a good deal more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/as-social-values-shifted-through-the-80s-and-90s-as-modern/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [My job is to be skeptical: skeptical of people like Edward Snowden and skeptical of the U.S. government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-tapper/my-job-is-to-be-skeptical-skeptical-of-people-like-edward-snowden-and/) [Jake Tapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-tapper/) > [The true American patriot is by definition skeptical of the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/the-true-american-patriot-is-by-definition-skeptical-of-the-government/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [The forces are different up here at the continental divide. The magnetic lines of energy run in specific directions. The United States is divided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-forces-are-different-up-here-at-the-continental-divide-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Power is the great evil with which we are contending. We have divided power between three branches of government and erected checks and balances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/power-is-the-great-evil-with-which-we-are-contending-we-have-divided/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [Errors are more numerous than truths, but fortunately too divided among themselves to take power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/errors-are-more-numerous-than-truths-but-fortunately-too-divided/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The Founding Fathers realized that "the power to tax is the power to destroy," which is why they did not give the Federal government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-founding-fathers-realized-that-the-power-to-tax-is-the-power-to/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Just because they broke the law doesn't mean they're condemned forever to a twilight status ... I believe that most Americans feel that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/just-because-they-broke-the-law-doesn-t-mean-they-re-condemned/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [ I believe we \[americans\] are strongest as a nation, when the president and Congress work together. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-believe-we-americans-are-strongest-as-a-nation-when-the-president/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I'm comparing Americans to international peers in terms of GDP, educational system - the sort of benchmarks we used to designate a so-called developed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-andersen/i-m-comparing-americans-to-international-peers-in-terms-of-gdp/) [Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-andersen/) > [I believe most Americans are pro-choice and anti-abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/i-believe-most-americans-are-pro-choice-and-anti-abortion/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [We are tasked to rebuild not just a damaged economy, and a debt-ridden balance sheet, but to do so by drawing forth the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/we-are-tasked-to-rebuild-not-just-a-damaged-economy-and-a-debt-ridden/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) ## More by James Comey > [Really bad people around the world, because of the genius of American innovation, use our products and infrastructure for their emails, for their communications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/really-bad-people-around-the-world-because-of-the-genius-of-american/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [There are two things that matter in a criminal investigation of a subject.What did the person do, and when they did that thing, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/there-are-two-things-that-matter-in-a-criminal-investigation-of-a/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [In my view, a huge portion of WikiLeaks's activities has nothing to do with legitimate newsgathering, informing the public, commenting on important public controversies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/in-my-view-a-huge-portion-of-wikileaks-s-activities-has-nothing-to-do/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [There are those who've been hacked by the Chinese and those who don't know they've been hacked by the Chinese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/there-are-those-who-ve-been-hacked-by-the-chinese-and-those-who-don-t/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [The lawyers doing the sorting for Secretary Clinton in 2014 did not individually read the content of all of her e-mails, as we did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/the-lawyers-doing-the-sorting-for-secretary-clinton-in-2014-did-not/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [The FBI also discovered several thousand work-related e-mails that were not in the group of 30,000 that were returned by Secretary Clinton to State…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/the-fbi-also-discovered-several-thousand-work-related-e-mails-that/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [WikiLeaks is a important focus of our attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/wikileaks-is-a-important-focus-of-our-attention/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [We did not find direct evidence that Secretary Clinton’s personal e-mail domain, in its various configurations since 2009, was successfully hacked. But, given the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/we-did-not-find-direct-evidence-that-secretary-clinton-s-personal-e/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [It is a little bit difficult to talk about things that do involve classified matters in public. But I think the public needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/it-is-a-little-bit-difficult-to-talk-about-things-that-do-involve/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [The more able we are to keep guns out the hand so criminals and spouse abusers all - the better. So the more information…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/the-more-able-we-are-to-keep-guns-out-the-hand-so-criminals-and/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [Secretary Hillary Clinton used several different servers and administrators of those servers during her four years at the State Department. She also used numerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/secretary-hillary-clinton-used-several-different-servers-and/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [What we want to work with manufacturers on is to figure out how can we accommodate both interests in a sensible way? How can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/what-we-want-to-work-with-manufacturers-on-is-to-figure-out-how-can/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [In their minds, the murderers and accomplices of Germany, and Poland, and Hungary, and so many, many other places didn't do something evil. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/in-their-minds-the-murderers-and-accomplices-of-germany-and-poland/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [What we do is we combine information collected from any lawful source in a single FBI database so we don't miss a dot when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/what-we-do-is-we-combine-information-collected-from-any-lawful-source/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [Our need for public safety and our need for privacy are crashing into each other and we've got to sort that out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/our-need-for-public-safety-and-our-need-for-privacy-are-crashing-into/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) [Explore all 37 James Comey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I believe that Americans should be deeply skeptical of government power. You cannot trust people in power. The founders knew that. 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