--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever the powers of government are…" description: "\"Whenever the powers of government are placed in any hands other than those of the community, whether those of one man, of a few, or of several, those p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/james-mill-47041_community_whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-pl_3165510.png" --- # Whenever the powers of government are placed in any hands… ![“Whenever the powers of government are placed in any hands other than those of the community, whether those of one man, of a few, or of several, those principles of human nature which imply that government is at all necessary, imply that those persons will make use of them to defeat the very end…” quote by James Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/james-mill-47041_community_whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-pl_3165510.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/james-mill-47041_community_whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-pl_3165510.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/james-mill-47041_community_whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-pl_3165510.png) > “Whenever the powers of government are placed in any hands other than those of the community, whether those of one man, of a few, or of several, those principles of human nature which imply that government is at all necessary, imply that those persons will make use of them to defeat the very end for which government exists.” [James Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When government power is removed from the community, those in control tend to misuse it, undermining the very purpose of governance. **In simple terms:** Power away from the people leads to misuse. Key Takeaway Ensure community oversight of governmental authority. Themes politics power community governance Mood cautious analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - civic engagement - government reform - public oversight Key Concepts authority corruption public trust Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens effectively monitor power? - What structures prevent abuse of authority? A Different Perspective Even with oversight, elite groups may still dominate decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [End Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-government-473107/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-exists-495817/) [Government Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-necessary-279921/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Imply Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imply-government-5740292/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [One man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-man/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Powers Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powers-government-912676/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [We should know at least the broad strokes of the powers that the government's claiming in our name, and using allegedly, on our behalf.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-should-know-at-least-the-broad-strokes-of-the-powers-that-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [A constitution, in the American sense of the word, is a written instrument by which the fundamental powers of the government are established, limited,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-freeman-miller/a-constitution-in-the-american-sense-of-the-word-is-a-written/) [Samuel Freeman Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-freeman-miller/) > [All powers of government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive, under God, from the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-powers-of-government-legislative-executive-and-judicial-derive/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-legitimate-powers-of-government-extend-to-such-acts-only-as-are-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [A question arises whether all the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judicial, shall be left in this body? 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Along with many religious people, Latter-day Saints affirm that God gave the power to the people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/the-people-are-the-source-of-governmental-power-along-with-many/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [But in the end our government usually - not unfailingly - is responsive to the people; and usually - not always - will try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-h-hamilton/but-in-the-end-our-government-usually-not-unfailingly-is-responsive/) [Lee H. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-h-hamilton/) ## More by James Mill > [Of the laws of nature, on which the condition of man depends, that which is attended with the greatest number of consequences, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/of-the-laws-of-nature-on-which-the-condition-of-man-depends-that/) [James Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mill/) > [The government and the people are under a moral necessity of acting together; a free press compels them to bend to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/the-government-and-the-people-are-under-a-moral-necessity-of-acting/) [James Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mill/) > [It cannot be precisely known how any thing is good or bad, till it is precisely known what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/it-cannot-be-precisely-known-how-any-thing-is-good-or-bad-till-it-is/) [James Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mill/) > [Every man should be considered as having a right to the character which he deserves; that is, to be spoken of according to his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/every-man-should-be-considered-as-having-a-right-to-the-character/) [James Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mill/) > [No good government can ever want more than two things for its support: 1st, Its own excellence; and, 2dly, a people sufficiently instructed, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/no-good-government-can-ever-want-more-than-two-things-for-its-support/) [James Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mill/) > [Exhortations to obstruct the operations of Government in detail, should; Exhortations to resist all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/exhortations-to-obstruct-the-operations-of-government-in-detail/) [James Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mill/) > [If nature had produced spontaneously all the objects which we desire, and in sufficient abundance for the desires of all, there would have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/if-nature-had-produced-spontaneously-all-the-objects-which-we-desire/) [James Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mill/) [Explore all 8 James Mill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mill/) ## More Community quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. 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Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) [Sheila Kamerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kamerman/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Perhaps the greatest and least visible form of impoverishment caused by the Corporate State is the destruction of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-reich/perhaps-the-greatest-and-least-visible-form-of-impoverishment-caused/) [Charles A. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/) [Browse all 13,840 Community quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whenever the powers of government are placed in any hands other than those of the community, whether those of one man, of a few, or of several, those principles of human nature which imply that government is at all necessary, imply that those persons will make use of them to defeat the very end for which government exists.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Mill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-placed-in-any-hands-other-than/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Community" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-placed-in-any-hands-other-than/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/james-mill-47041_community_whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-pl_3165510.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/james-mill-47041_community_whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-pl_3165510.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bda/james-mill-47041_community_whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-pl_3165510.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whenever the powers of government are placed in any hands other than those of the community, whether those…” — James Mill", "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 Mill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Whenever the powers of government are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-placed-in-any-hands-other-than/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mill/whenever-the-powers-of-government-are-placed-in-any-hands-other-than/#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 } } ] } ```