--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Government grew under [Ronald] Reagan. He…" description: "\"Government grew under [Ronald] Reagan. He was the strongest opponent of free markets in the post-war history among presidents. But it doesn't matter wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/noam-chomsky-42_free-market_government-grew-under-ronald-reagan-he-w_727328.jpg" --- # Government grew under \[Ronald\] Reagan. He was the… ![“Government grew under [Ronald] Reagan. He was the strongest opponent of free markets in the post-war history among presidents. But it doesn't matter what the reality is; they concocted an image that you worship.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/noam-chomsky-42_free-market_government-grew-under-ronald-reagan-he-w_727328.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/noam-chomsky-42_free-market_government-grew-under-ronald-reagan-he-w_727328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/noam-chomsky-42_free-market_government-grew-under-ronald-reagan-he-w_727328.jpg) > “Government grew under \[Ronald\] Reagan. He was the strongest opponent of free markets in the post-war history among presidents. But it doesn't matter what the reality is; they concocted an image that you worship.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reagan promoted free‑market rhetoric despite opposing it, shaping public perception over reality. **In simple terms:** Political narratives can distort truth. Key Takeaway Critically evaluate leaders’ economic claims. Themes politics media economics Mood skeptical critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - election campaigns - policy debates - media analysis - academic study Key Concepts Ideological framing public persuasion Questions to Reflect On - Why do audiences accept contradictory messages? - How does media framing affect policy support? A Different Perspective Opposing viewpoints may be suppressed or ignored. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Free market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-market/) [Free markets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-markets/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Post war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/post-war/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [“The Rebellion was gone, and a new government grew swiftly—if clumsily—in its place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/the-rebellion-was-gone-and-a-new-government-grew-swiftly-if-clumsily/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [ You can see it in the worship of \[Ronald\] Reagan, which portrays him as somebody who saved us from government. Actually he was an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-can-see-it-in-the-worship-of-ronald-reagan-which-portrays-him-as/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Haitian rice farmers are quite efficient, but they can't compete with U.S. agribusiness that relies on a huge government subsidy, thanks to Ronald Reagan's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/haitian-rice-farmers-are-quite-efficient-but-they-can-t-compete-with/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I like Ronald Reagan, who didn't play crass politics, and he just articulated and delivered on broad themes that were needed. Free markets meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-brat/i-like-ronald-reagan-who-didn-t-play-crass-politics-and-he-just/) [Dave Brat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-brat/) > [That's a point that Dan Ellsberg has made for years. He said it's kind of like if you and I go into a grocery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/that-s-a-point-that-dan-ellsberg-has-made-for-years-he-said-it-s-kind/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If the Nuremberg laws were applied, then every post-war American president would have been hanged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-the-nuremberg-laws-were-applied-then-every-post-war-american/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Free markets are based on the free circulation of labor. If you don't have free circulation of labor, you don't have free markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/free-markets-are-based-on-the-free-circulation-of-labor-if-you-don-t/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The legacy of Ronald Reagan will live on forever. I, of course, had the wonderful opportunity of working with him and getting to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-brady/the-legacy-of-ronald-reagan-will-live-on-forever-i-of-course-had-the/) [Sarah Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-brady/) > [I'm looking for a president that'll be like a Ronald Reagan to a Jimmy Carter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/i-m-looking-for-a-president-that-ll-be-like-a-ronald-reagan-to-a/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [ \[Ronald\] Reagan seems to be a man of some basic convictions and on the other hand willing to let others do the ground homework,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-schmidt/ronald-reagan-seems-to-be-a-man-of-some-basic-convictions-and-on-the/) [Helmut Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-schmidt/) > [Dwight Eisenhower presented a face of America that was heroic and resolute; Ronald Reagan represented a return to confidence and glamour after the weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/dwight-eisenhower-presented-a-face-of-america-that-was-heroic-and/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) > [Half a century ago, Ronald Reagan, the man whose relentless optimism inspired me to enter politics, famously said that he didn't leave the Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-crist/half-a-century-ago-ronald-reagan-the-man-whose-relentless-optimism/) [Charlie Crist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-crist/) > [ Everything \[Ronald Reagan\] got, the tax cuts, he had Democrats outnumbering him in the House and Senate everywhere. There were certain realities that he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/everything-ronald-reagan-got-the-tax-cuts-he-had-democrats/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Ronald Reagan just signed the new tax law. But I think he was in Hollywood too long. He signed it, 'Best wishes, Ronald Reagan.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/ronald-reagan-just-signed-the-new-tax-law-but-i-think-he-was-in/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Ronald Reagan's biographer wrote of the former president's final days: "for all the intimate familiarity of that face and body, I did not feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-morris/ronald-reagan-s-biographer-wrote-of-the-former-president-s-final-days/) Edwin Morris ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [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/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. 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Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. 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