--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We actually do need a federal government…" description: "\"We actually do need a federal government, but we need a limited one.\" — Ron Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/ron-johnson-4283_actually_we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government_1217409.jpg" --- # We actually do need a federal government, but we need a… ![“We actually do need a federal government, but we need a limited one.” quote by Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/ron-johnson-4283_actually_we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government_1217409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/ron-johnson-4283_actually_we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government_1217409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/ron-johnson-4283_actually_we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government_1217409.jpg) > “We actually do need a federal government, but we need a limited one.” [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A federal government is necessary, but its powers should be restrained to avoid overreach. **In simple terms:** We need government, but limited. Key Takeaway Advocate for balanced governance. Themes government politics libertarianism limits accountability Mood cautious thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - citizen activism - legislative reform - public budgeting Key Concepts Federalism checks and balances limited government Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure essential services while limiting power? - What safeguards prevent government overreach? A Different Perspective Limited government may struggle to address complex national crises. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) [Federal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/federal/) [Federal government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/federal-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-need-467994/) [Limited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limited/) [Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need/) [Need Federal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-federal-824451/) [Need Limited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-limited-2785531/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [We need federal legislation guaranteeing paid family and medical leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wu/we-need-federal-legislation-guaranteeing-paid-family-and-medical-leave/) [Michelle Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wu/) > [Wireless carriers certainly don't need the federal government's help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/wireless-carriers-certainly-don-t-need-the-federal-government-s-help/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) > [I often need a limited space. It's like having a house to roam around in and reinvent and have things to happen in, kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ondaatje/i-often-need-a-limited-space-it-s-like-having-a-house-to-roam-around/) [Michael Ondaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ondaatje/) > [We do need the federal government to share information with us. We need local governments to increase supply. We need affordable places for people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-clark/we-do-need-the-federal-government-to-share-information-with-us-we/) [Christy Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-clark/) > [What we need is not more Federal government, but better local government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/what-we-need-is-not-more-federal-government-but-better-local/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [It's not tyranny we desire; it's a just, limited, federal government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-s-not-tyranny-we-desire-it-s-a-just-limited-federal-government/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [The federal government is way larger than it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/the-federal-government-is-way-larger-than-it-should-be/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [The fact that Washington has been a complete logjam for anything for the last six years has got to change because we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/the-fact-that-washington-has-been-a-complete-logjam-for-anything-for/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [No state can invest the kinds of dollars in infrastructure necessary on their own. They need federal help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-casey-jr/no-state-can-invest-the-kinds-of-dollars-in-infrastructure-necessary/) [Bob Casey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-casey-jr/) > [Outside of a few national security issues like treason that the Constitution lays out, we don't need federal crimes, and we don't need federal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-woodall/outside-of-a-few-national-security-issues-like-treason-that-the/) [Rob Woodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-woodall/) > [We need a Federal government that does what the government needs to do and stops doing what the government ought not to be doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/we-need-a-federal-government-that-does-what-the-government-needs-to/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Why do we need a federal Department of Education? Curriculum should be driven at the local level anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-wilcox/why-do-we-need-a-federal-department-of-education-curriculum-should-be/) [Todd Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-wilcox/) > [All too often in tough economic times, it is the environment that gets left on the cutting room floors of Congress as everyone scraps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-wasserman-schultz/all-too-often-in-tough-economic-times-it-is-the-environment-that-gets/) [Debbie Wasserman Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-wasserman-schultz/) > [The Supreme Court, in 2005, emphasized and contrasted the great power of Congress under the Commerce Clause to regulate interstate commerce versus much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ann-radnofsky/the-supreme-court-in-2005-emphasized-and-contrasted-the-great-power/) [Barbara Ann Radnofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ann-radnofsky/) > [We should have a very limited federal government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-broun/we-should-have-a-very-limited-federal-government/) [Paul Broun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-broun/) ## More by Ron Johnson > [In an era of unprecedented medical innovation, we have to do more to ensure that patients facing terminal illnesses have access to potentially life-saving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/in-an-era-of-unprecedented-medical-innovation-we-have-to-do-more-to/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [Career politicians manufacture hogwash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/career-politicians-manufacture-hogwash/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [I want to err on the side of constitutional liberty and freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/i-want-to-err-on-the-side-of-constitutional-liberty-and-freedom/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [I don't like outside group ads. I don't like attack ads. I particularly don't like them now that I'm in the process and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/i-don-t-like-outside-group-ads-i-don-t-like-attack-ads-i-particularly/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [The federal government is way larger than it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/the-federal-government-is-way-larger-than-it-should-be/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [I have a great deal of respect for Wisconsin workers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/i-have-a-great-deal-of-respect-for-wisconsin-workers/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [There is a real problem in terms of the refugee flow, the ability of ISIS to infiltrate those refugee flows, our inability to track…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/there-is-a-real-problem-in-terms-of-the-refugee-flow-the-ability-of/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [I think it's extremely important that the citizens of Wisconsin know the positions I'm taking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/i-think-it-s-extremely-important-that-the-citizens-of-wisconsin-know/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [The people that are proposing banning assault weapons, well, first of all they're already banned. Assault weapon is a fully automatic, those are already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/the-people-that-are-proposing-banning-assault-weapons-well-first-of/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [The Obama administration's hostility to school choice programs is well known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/the-obama-administration-s-hostility-to-school-choice-programs-is/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [What we should be doing is responsibly addressing the primary drivers of our debt and deficit issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/what-we-should-be-doing-is-responsibly-addressing-the-primary-drivers/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [There are a lot of young kids serving in Washington, D.C.: kids that are smart, hard-working, but they've never farmed. They've never run a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/there-are-a-lot-of-young-kids-serving-in-washington-d-c-kids-that-are/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [Russ Feingold is a career politician. He's addicted to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/russ-feingold-is-a-career-politician-he-s-addicted-to-it/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [The only area that I would agree with minimum wage is in immigration reform, the guest worker program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/the-only-area-that-i-would-agree-with-minimum-wage-is-in-immigration/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [To me, support versus endorse are two totally different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/to-me-support-versus-endorse-are-two-totally-different-things/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) [Explore all 113 Ron Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) [Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We actually do need a federal government, but we need a limited one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ron Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government-but-we-need-a-limited-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actually" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government-but-we-need-a-limited-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/ron-johnson-4283_actually_we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government_1217409.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/ron-johnson-4283_actually_we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government_1217409.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/ron-johnson-4283_actually_we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government_1217409.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We actually do need a federal government, but we need a limited one.” — Ron Johnson", "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": "Ron Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We actually do need a federal...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government-but-we-need-a-limited-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/we-actually-do-need-a-federal-government-but-we-need-a-limited-one/#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 } } ] } ```