Art Quote by James Harrington
“And government (to define it de facto, or according to modern prudence) is an art whereby some man, or some few men, subject a city or a nation, and rule it according to his or their private interest; which, because the laws in such cases are made according to the interest of a man, or of some few families, may be said to be the empire of men, and not of laws.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: The Commonwealth of Oceana, 1656
Governance driven by private interests becomes rule by men, not by law, turning the state into a personal empire.
In simple terms: When leaders serve themselves, law loses power.
Key Takeaway
Demand accountability in leadership.
Themes
power
corruption
law
governance
elitism
Mood
cautious
critical
serious
Type
political
analytical
reflective
When to use this quote
- voting
- policy advocacy
- public oversight
- civic education
Key Concepts
political theory
rule of law
elite dominance
Questions to Reflect On
- Who holds power in your community?
- What mechanisms can ensure laws dominate personal interests?
A Different Perspective
Reforming entrenched interests can be extremely difficult.
![“[Fiscal prudence] means spending wisely, reducing waste, collecting sufficient taxes to pay for the public goods and services we want, keeping budgets in relative balance over time, and keeping debt coming down, at least during reasonably good times.” quote by Alex Himelfarb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6ce/alex-himelfarb-67130_debt_fiscal-prudence-means-spending-wisely-re_31889.jpg)
