--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What makes America great was a government…" description: "\"What makes America great was a government that was founded to be limited to doing one thing. I really believe the whole purpose of America, the aspirat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/959/rick-santorum-1840_america_what-makes-america-great-was-a-governmen_2367491.jpg" --- # What makes America great was a government that was founded… ![“What makes America great was a government that was founded to be limited to doing one thing. I really believe the whole purpose of America, the aspirational value - why everybody who wants to come to this country wants to come here - was because we respected the dignity of every living person.” quote by Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/959/rick-santorum-1840_america_what-makes-america-great-was-a-governmen_2367491.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/959/rick-santorum-1840_america_what-makes-america-great-was-a-governmen_2367491.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/959/rick-santorum-1840_america_what-makes-america-great-was-a-governmen_2367491.jpg) > “What makes America great was a government that was founded to be limited to doing one thing. I really believe the whole purpose of America, the aspirational value - why everybody who wants to come to this country wants to come here - was because we respected the dignity of every living person.” [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America’s strength lies in limited government that protects individual dignity and opportunity for newcomers. **In simple terms:** Limited government protects human dignity. Key Takeaway Support policies that limit governmental overreach. Themes government individual rights immigration national identity political philosophy Mood proud optimistic defensive Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - immigration reform - citizen education - community integration Key Concepts liberalism constitutionalism civic virtue Questions to Reflect On - How does limited government balance individual rights with societal needs? - What safeguards ensure dignity for all? A Different Perspective Limited government may struggle to address collective challenges like public health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Respected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respected/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) ## Related quotes > [The purpose of America is to unleash the full talent and genius of every individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-purpose-of-america-is-to-unleash-the-full-talent-and-genius-of/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I love the way America is so aspirational. I really like the attitude that you can be anything you want to be as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-love-the-way-america-is-so-aspirational-i-really-like-the-attitude/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [A free press isn't the enemy of America; it's a big part of why makes America great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-karl/a-free-press-isn-t-the-enemy-of-america-it-s-a-big-part-of-why-makes/) [Jonathan Karl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-karl/) > [The gift I have to give to my fellow countrymen and people around the world, the facts are the Muslim community are our gift.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/the-gift-i-have-to-give-to-my-fellow-countrymen-and-people-around-the/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [For the son of immigrants to run for elected office, not even a generation after my parents got here, that's what makes America a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-gomez/for-the-son-of-immigrants-to-run-for-elected-office-not-even-a/) [Jimmy Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-gomez/) > [What makes America great is our commitment to our values of inclusivity and opportunity for all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/what-makes-america-great-is-our-commitment-to-our-values-of/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [“It is not in our forming battlements or bristling seacoasts, or our Army and Navy that makes America great - but rather our reliance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/it-is-not-in-our-forming-battlements-or-bristling-seacoasts-or-our/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The very fact of seeking specialization is probably what makes America so great in these two hundred years. But also, the sensation that somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-leone/the-very-fact-of-seeking-specialization-is-probably-what-makes/) [Sergio Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-leone/) > [Let's not be too rough on our own ignorance, it's what makes America great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/let-s-not-be-too-rough-on-our-own-ignorance-it-s-what-makes-america/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [What makes America great is that we can come together during times of national tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-hastert/what-makes-america-great-is-that-we-can-come-together-during-times-of/) [Dennis Hastert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-hastert/) > [What makes America great is that we were founded on a Judeo-Christian nation. That's very important for us to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/what-makes-america-great-is-that-we-were-founded-on-a-judeo-christian/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [“America belongs to all who live here and call her home; of every color and background; that is central to what makes America great.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-lewis/america-belongs-to-all-who-live-here-and-call-her-home-of-every-color/) [Leland Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leland-lewis/) > [What makes America great is peaceful protests and exercising your constitutional rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-dowd/what-makes-america-great-is-peaceful-protests-and-exercising-your/) [Matthew Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-dowd/) > [One of the tenets that makes America so great is that we value the opportunity to have a battle of ideas and to elect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-blaha/one-of-the-tenets-that-makes-america-so-great-is-that-we-value-the/) [Robert Blaha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-blaha/) > [When you look at what makes America great, what makes America, you know, not great, our ups and our downs, Springfield represents all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rose/when-you-look-at-what-makes-america-great-what-makes-america-you-know/) [Kevin Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rose/) ## More by Rick Santorum > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [We had 90 percent rates, but nobody paid them. And so you had all these exemptions, exclusions, shelters, all this kind of stuff. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-had-90-percent-rates-but-nobody-paid-them-and-so-you-had-all-these/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I would say any type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-would-say-any-type-of-sexual-activity-has-absolutely-no-place-in/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I support the death penalty and will continue to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-support-the-death-penalty-and-will-continue-to-do-that/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Suffering, if you're a Christian, suffering is a part of life. And it's not a bad thing, it is an essential thing in life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/suffering-if-you-re-a-christian-suffering-is-a-part-of-life-and-it-s/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture, ... When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/priests-like-all-of-us-are-affected-by-culture-when-the-culture-is/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [“The basic unit of society is the family. No one comes into this world as a self-sufficient individual. We start out as the helpless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-basic-unit-of-society-is-the-family-no-one-comes-into-this-world/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [In 1923 there were no government benefits for immigrants except one: Freedom!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefits-for-immigrants-except-one/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Now is the time to act or get stuck with a bland, boring, career politician who will lose to Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/now-is-the-time-to-act-or-get-stuck-with-a-bland-boring-career/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [My mom was a working woman. She made more money than my dad. Both my parents worked. And this was in the '60s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/my-mom-was-a-working-woman-she-made-more-money-than-my-dad-both-my/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Almost 60,000 average Americans had the courage to go out and charge those beaches on Normandy, to drop out of airplanes who knows where,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/almost-60-000-average-americans-had-the-courage-to-go-out-and-charge/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [ The state has a right to do that \[outlaw contraceptives\], I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that. It… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-state-has-a-right-to-do-that-outlaw-contraceptives-i-have-never/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [ One of Governor Romney's aides today on television said that Governor Romney, after he wins the primaries, will be like an \[Etch A Sketch\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/one-of-governor-romney-s-aides-today-on-television-said-that-governor/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I dont know of one group of people thats more disliked than politicians -- it may be the folks who gave us the Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-dont-know-of-one-group-of-people-thats-more-disliked-than/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Obviously the first thing we need to do is repeal “Obamacare.” That's one entitlement that we can get rid of. And that's a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/obviously-the-first-thing-we-need-to-do-is-repeal-obamacare-that-s/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) [Explore all 204 Rick Santorum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) ## More America quotes > [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/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. 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