--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That no government, so called, can…" description: "\"That no government, so called, can reasonably be trusted, or reasonably be supposed to have honest purposes in view, any longer than it depends wholly ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/lysander-spooner-3260_government_that-no-government-so-called-can-reasona_2970114.jpg" --- # That no government, so called, can reasonably be trusted… ![“That no government, so called, can reasonably be trusted, or reasonably be supposed to have honest purposes in view, any longer than it depends wholly upon voluntary support.” quote by Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/lysander-spooner-3260_government_that-no-government-so-called-can-reasona_2970114.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/lysander-spooner-3260_government_that-no-government-so-called-can-reasona_2970114.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/lysander-spooner-3260_government_that-no-government-so-called-can-reasona_2970114.jpg) > “That no government, so called, can reasonably be trusted, or reasonably be supposed to have honest purposes in view, any longer than it depends wholly upon voluntary support.” [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government legitimacy depends on voluntary support; without it, trust erodes **In simple terms:** Governments need consent to be trustworthy Key Takeaway Demand accountability and voluntary participation Themes politics government legitimacy voluntaryism Mood skeptical critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - voting - civic engagement - taxation debates - community organizing Key Concepts social contract theory anarchism political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms ensure genuine consent? - Can a state function without coercion? A Different Perspective Voluntary support may be unrealistic in large societies ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) ## Related quotes > [One essential of a free government is that it rest wholly on voluntary support. And one certain proof that a government is not free,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/one-essential-of-a-free-government-is-that-it-rest-wholly-on/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [The Rothschilds, and that class of money-lenders of whom they are the representatives and agents - men who never think of lending a shilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-rothschilds-and-that-class-of-money-lenders-of-whom-they-are-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Fuck perfect, I want honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djsovviet/fuck-perfect-i-want-honest/) Djsovviet > [I used to not be really honest with girls and then I dropped a song called Starry Room and then I started turning over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-smith/i-used-to-not-be-really-honest-with-girls-and-then-i-dropped-a-song/) [Jaden Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden-smith/) > [Honest people don't hide their deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/honest-people-don-t-hide-their-deeds/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [I have often spoken of integrity as the most important of these values, realizing that integrity – and personal integrity, at that – is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verghese-kurien/i-have-often-spoken-of-integrity-as-the-most-important-of-these/) [Verghese Kurien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verghese-kurien/) > [There's a certain edge about cruelty. If you're honest about it, most people wince, but say it had to be said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-waterman/there-s-a-certain-edge-about-cruelty-if-you-re-honest-about-it-most/) [Pete Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-waterman/) > [I don't know - to be honest, I don't really model myself after anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-klattenhoff/i-don-t-know-to-be-honest-i-don-t-really-model-myself-after-anybody/) [Diego Klattenhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-klattenhoff/) > [One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations. . . is that in political, military, moral, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-most-basic-principles-for-making-and-keeping-peace-within/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [“RIGHT Do you do what feels right or what is seen right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-downer/right-do-you-do-what-feels-right-or-what-is-seen-right/) [Kitty Downer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-downer/) > [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tobacco is the passion of honest men and he who lives without tobacco is not worthy of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/tobacco-is-the-passion-of-honest-men-and-he-who-lives-without-tobacco/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [How strong is a faith that can't stand up to a few honest questions?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-c-davis/how-strong-is-a-faith-that-can-t-stand-up-to-a-few-honest-questions/) [Kenneth C. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-c-davis/) ## More by Lysander Spooner > [Slavery, if it can be legalized at all, can be legalized only by positive legislation. Natural law gives it no aid. Custom imparts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/slavery-if-it-can-be-legalized-at-all-can-be-legalized-only-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Those who deny the right of a jury to protect an individual in resisting an unjust law of the government, deny him all defence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/those-who-deny-the-right-of-a-jury-to-protect-an-individual-in/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [I was put into jail as I was going to the shoemaker's to get a shoe which was mended. When I was let out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/i-was-put-into-jail-as-i-was-going-to-the-shoemaker-s-to-get-a-shoe/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [The single despot stands out in the face of all men, and says: I am the State: My will is law: I am your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-single-despot-stands-out-in-the-face-of-all-men-and-says-i-am-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [The Rothschilds, and that class of money-lenders of whom they are the representatives and agents - men who never think of lending a shilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-rothschilds-and-that-class-of-money-lenders-of-whom-they-are-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Who are ever taxed? Individuals only. Who have property that can be taxed? Individuals only. Who can give their consent to be taxed? Individuals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/who-are-ever-taxed-individuals-only-who-have-property-that-can-be/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [There can be no criminal intent in resisting injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/there-can-be-no-criminal-intent-in-resisting-injustice/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Practically and commercially speaking, a dollar is not necessarily a specific thing, made of silver, or gold, or any other single metal, or substance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/practically-and-commercially-speaking-a-dollar-is-not-necessarily-a/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [If the jury have no right to judge of the justice of a law of the government, they plainly can do nothing to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/if-the-jury-have-no-right-to-judge-of-the-justice-of-a-law-of-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [If it be said that the consent of the strongest party in a nation, is all that is necessary to justify the establishment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/if-it-be-said-that-the-consent-of-the-strongest-party-in-a-nation-is/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [In reality there is no such thing as an inflation of prices, relatively to gold. There is such a thing as a depreciated paper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/in-reality-there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-inflation-of-prices/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [And there is no difference, in principle - but only in degree - between political and chattel slavery. The former, no less than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/and-there-is-no-difference-in-principle-but-only-in-degree-between/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [The Constitution has no inherent authority or obligation. It has no authority or obligation at all, unless as a contract between man and man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-constitution-has-no-inherent-authority-or-obligation-it-has-no/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [These so-called governments are in reality only great bands of robbers and murderers, organized, disciplined, and constantly on the alert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/these-so-called-governments-are-in-reality-only-great-bands-of/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) [Explore all 135 Lysander Spooner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) ## More Government quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Louisiana's spicy, colorful politics have saddled our state with a reputation for tolerating lax ethical standards in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/louisiana-s-spicy-colorful-politics-have-saddled-our-state-with-a/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [He is almost a statesman. He lies well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/he-is-almost-a-statesman-he-lies-well/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [We can't have a government that will collapse in three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/we-can-t-have-a-government-that-will-collapse-in-three-months/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Browse all 21,248 Government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That no government, so called, can reasonably be trusted, or reasonably be supposed to have honest purposes in view, any longer than it depends wholly upon voluntary support.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lysander Spooner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/that-no-government-so-called-can-reasonably-be-trusted-or-reasonably/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Government" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/that-no-government-so-called-can-reasonably-be-trusted-or-reasonably/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/lysander-spooner-3260_government_that-no-government-so-called-can-reasona_2970114.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/lysander-spooner-3260_government_that-no-government-so-called-can-reasona_2970114.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/lysander-spooner-3260_government_that-no-government-so-called-can-reasona_2970114.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That no government, so called, can reasonably be trusted, or reasonably be supposed to have honest purposes…” — Lysander Spooner", "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": "Lysander Spooner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That no government, so called, can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/that-no-government-so-called-can-reasonably-be-trusted-or-reasonably/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/that-no-government-so-called-can-reasonably-be-trusted-or-reasonably/#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 } } ] } ```