--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When government gets too big, freedom is…" description: "\"When government gets too big, freedom is lost. Government is supposed to be the servant. But when a government can tax the people with no limit or rest..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/ronald-reagan-119_bigs_when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is_509292.jpg" --- # When government gets too big, freedom is lost. Government… ![“When government gets too big, freedom is lost. Government is supposed to be the servant. But when a government can tax the people with no limit or restraint on what the government can take, then the government has become the master.” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/ronald-reagan-119_bigs_when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is_509292.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/ronald-reagan-119_bigs_when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is_509292.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/ronald-reagan-119_bigs_when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is_509292.jpg) > “When government gets too big, freedom is lost. Government is supposed to be the servant. But when a government can tax the people with no limit or restraint on what the government can take, then the government has become the master.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that an overly expansive government erodes liberty, turning a servant role into a master by imposing unlimited taxes. **In simple terms:** Too much government power can strip freedom through unchecked taxation. Key Takeaway Guard against excessive governmental control. Themes politics freedom government taxation Mood cautious defensive Type political warning When to use this quote - policy debates - tax reform - civic education Key Concepts liberal democracy tax policy civil liberty Questions to Reflect On - What limits should exist on government taxation? - How can citizens ensure government remains a servant? A Different Perspective Freedom also depends on personal responsibility and civic engagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-lost-328070/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-government/) [Government Tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-tax-296865/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Restraint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restraint/) [Restraint Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restraint-government-4320055/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) [Servant Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant-government-3773995/) [Supposed to be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supposed-to-be/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [The special harm attaching to prior restraint is that the government can keep materials from reaching the public, so there can be no accountability,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randal-marlin/the-special-harm-attaching-to-prior-restraint-is-that-the-government/) [Randal Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randal-marlin/) > [“I am out here to work, mind, to hold this wretched country by force. I'm not a missionary or a Labour Member or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/i-am-out-here-to-work-mind-to-hold-this-wretched-country-by-force-i-m/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [Those who have known freedom and then lost it, have never known it again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/those-who-have-known-freedom-and-then-lost-it-have-never-known-it/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-free-unions-and-collective-bargaining-are-forbidden-freedom-is/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“Perhaps you and I have lived with this miracle too long to be properly appreciative. Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/perhaps-you-and-i-have-lived-with-this-miracle-too-long-to-be/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/freedom-is-a-fragile-thing-and-is-never-more-than-one-generation-away/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Either you will control your government, or government will control you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/either-you-will-control-your-government-or-government-will-control-you/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Democracy is less a system of government than it is a system to keep government limited, unintrusive; a system of constraints on power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/democracy-is-less-a-system-of-government-than-it-is-a-system-to-keep/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Well, we have certainly produced great art before we did this. In my view, there are any number of areas of government which tax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlton-heston/well-we-have-certainly-produced-great-art-before-we-did-this-in-my/) [Charlton Heston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlton-heston/) > [It would be thought a hard government that should tax its people one tenth part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/it-would-be-thought-a-hard-government-that-should-tax-its-people-one/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I wish the government would put a tax on pianos for the incompetent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-sitwell/i-wish-the-government-would-put-a-tax-on-pianos-for-the-incompetent/) [Edith Sitwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-sitwell/) > [“In the United States I saw how the market liberates the individual and allows people to be free to make personal choices. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/in-the-united-states-i-saw-how-the-market-liberates-the-individual/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [Strictly speaking, it probably is not “necessary” for the federal government to tax anyone directly; it could simply print the money it needs. However,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/strictly-speaking-it-probably-is-not-necessary-for-the-federal/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [We have historically tended to run fairly steady levels of government tax revenue as a percentage of gross domestic product and expenditures at around 20%.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bessent/we-have-historically-tended-to-run-fairly-steady-levels-of-government/) [Scott Bessent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bessent/) > [You can grow marijuana, so the government can't tax you and they don't like that, that's why they prohibit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/you-can-grow-marijuana-so-the-government-can-t-tax-you-and-they-don-t/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [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/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) [Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When government gets too big, freedom is lost. Government is supposed to be the servant. But when a government can tax the people with no limit or restraint on what the government can take, then the government has become the master.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ronald Reagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is-lost-government-is-supposed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is-lost-government-is-supposed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/ronald-reagan-119_bigs_when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is_509292.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/ronald-reagan-119_bigs_when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is_509292.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86f/ronald-reagan-119_bigs_when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is_509292.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When government gets too big, freedom is lost. Government is supposed to be the servant. But when a…” — Ronald Reagan", "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": "Ronald Reagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When government gets too big, freedom...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is-lost-government-is-supposed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/when-government-gets-too-big-freedom-is-lost-government-is-supposed/#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 } } ] } ```