--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't want to shut down government." description: "\"I don't want to shut down government.\" — Susan Collins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/susan-collins-8729_down_i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government-202_2025261.jpg" --- # I don't want to shut down government. ![“I don't want to shut down government.” quote by Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/susan-collins-8729_down_i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government-202_2025261.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/susan-collins-8729_down_i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government-202_2025261.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/susan-collins-8729_down_i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government-202_2025261.jpg) > “I don't want to shut down government.” [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expresses reluctance to eliminate government functions entirely, advocating for reform rather than abolition. **In simple terms:** Doesn't want to eliminate government entirely. Key Takeaway Consider targeted reforms instead of total shutdown. Themes government reform policy politics Mood concerned determined Type political policy When to use this quote - budget cuts - policy debates - public services - legislative reform Key Concepts public administration democratic governance Questions to Reflect On - What essential services must be preserved? - How can reforms balance efficiency and public good? A Different Perspective Total shutdown may ignore essential services and public needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Shut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shut/) [Shut Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shut-government-837258/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Shut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-shut-1520595/) ## Related quotes > [Nobody wants to shut down the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-hensarling/nobody-wants-to-shut-down-the-government/) [Jeb Hensarling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-hensarling/) > [Make no mistake about it, my friends - Republicans, the American people are never going to forget that it was you who shut down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-scott/make-no-mistake-about-it-my-friends-republicans-the-american-people/) [David Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-scott/) > [I think it is unwise to shut down the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-szeliga/i-think-it-is-unwise-to-shut-down-the-government/) [Kathy Szeliga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-szeliga/) > [“You want to shut me up with your illegal none disclosure agreement?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/you-want-to-shut-me-up-with-your-illegal-none-disclosure-agreement/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I Want To Shut These Voices Out Of My Head,Or At Least Turn Them Down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-to-shut-these-voices-out-of-my-head-or-at-least-turn-them-down/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If your kid comes out of the bedroom and says he just shut down the government, he should have an outfit for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/if-your-kid-comes-out-of-the-bedroom-and-says-he-just-shut-down-the/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real world is, and we do not have the political power to do this.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/tactics-and-strategies-ought-to-be-based-on-what-the-real-world-is/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [The president is entitled to try to persuade Congress and the American people to pursue whatever policies he thinks are needed. But he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/the-president-is-entitled-to-try-to-persuade-congress-and-the/) [Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/) > [My guest Newt Gingrich shut down the government during the Clinton administration. I'll ask him when it's gonna start working again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/my-guest-newt-gingrich-shut-down-the-government-during-the-clinton/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Unfortunately, Republicans repeatedly waste taxpayer time and money, and even shut down the government, in efforts to repeal ACA. We simply cannot afford this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/unfortunately-republicans-repeatedly-waste-taxpayer-time-and-money/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [ I had to sign the paper to shut down the government. It's terrible… \[But\] what the shutdown showed many, many people is the importance… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-mathews-burwell/i-had-to-sign-the-paper-to-shut-down-the-government-it-s-terrible-but/) [Sylvia Mathews Burwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-mathews-burwell/) > [They pushed us into the fight to defund Obamacare and shut down the government. And the day before the government reopened, one of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/they-pushed-us-into-the-fight-to-defund-obamacare-and-shut-down-the/) [John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/) > [The idea that the United States of American might shut down its government over abortion and funding to an organization that is 0.01% of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katty-kay/the-idea-that-the-united-states-of-american-might-shut-down-its/) [Katty Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katty-kay/) > [President Obama's healthcare law is hated and loved by some so much that they are willing to shut down the government over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/president-obama-s-healthcare-law-is-hated-and-loved-by-some-so-much/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [Our constituents did not send us to Washington to shut down the government. They sent us here to make it more accountable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-womack/our-constituents-did-not-send-us-to-washington-to-shut-down-the/) [Steve Womack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-womack/) ## More by Susan Collins > [Loving isn't liking and it takes liking to live together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/loving-isn-t-liking-and-it-takes-liking-to-live-together/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [“Let the games begin!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/let-the-games-begin/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [I want to help the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-want-to-help-the-middle-class/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [I do not think it is going to be constructive to repeal a law that, at this point, is so interwoven in our health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-do-not-think-it-is-going-to-be-constructive-to-repeal-a-law-that-at/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [I am a congenital optimist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-am-a-congenital-optimist/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [We need to heal this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/we-need-to-heal-this-country/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [Leaders are visionaries. They see the outcome. Leaders are communicators. They tell us what they're seeing. They hold the dream, letting us feel that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/leaders-are-visionaries-they-see-the-outcome-leaders-are/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [I have, year after year, been named the most bipartisan member of the whole United States Senate. I have proved my independence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-have-year-after-year-been-named-the-most-bipartisan-member-of-the/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [It is important that we enact immigration reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/it-is-important-that-we-enact-immigration-reform/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [Donald Trump, in my judgment, would make a perilous world even more dangerous. I worry that his tendency to lash out and his ill-informed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/donald-trump-in-my-judgment-would-make-a-perilous-world-even-more/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [We can never fully repay the debt of our proud nation to those who have laid down their lives for our country. The best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/we-can-never-fully-repay-the-debt-of-our-proud-nation-to-those-who/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [John McCain felt very strongly about virtually every issue that he tackled, but it was never based in partisanship. He didn't try to score…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/john-mccain-felt-very-strongly-about-virtually-every-issue-that-he/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [I did work well with Hillary Clinton when she was my colleague in the Senate, and I certainly don't bear her any ill will.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-did-work-well-with-hillary-clinton-when-she-was-my-colleague-in-the/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [Taking the time to read to children is not only a worthwhile investment but also a wonderful experience. I have visited 119 schools in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/taking-the-time-to-read-to-children-is-not-only-a-worthwhile/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) > [I kept hoping that Donald Trump, once he won the primary, would change. I hoped that we would see a new Donald Trump, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-kept-hoping-that-donald-trump-once-he-won-the-primary-would-change/) [Susan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) [Explore all 77 Susan Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/) ## More Down quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I like to sit down, relax, have a cup of coffee on the terrace and read a book. I like to travel the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-vos/i-like-to-sit-down-relax-have-a-cup-of-coffee-on-the-terrace-and-read/) [Marianne Vos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-vos/) > [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/) > [What I was concerned about when I wrote the 'Downward Spiral' record was being a self-centred destructive force. The point was tearing down everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/what-i-was-concerned-about-when-i-wrote-the-downward-spiral-record/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [No matter how brilliant an actor is, there's always a point where they let you down, but that's all part of their journey. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hale/no-matter-how-brilliant-an-actor-is-there-s-always-a-point-where-they/) [Amanda Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hale/) > [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [My dad's quite a conservative person, and he brought me up to be very questioning of the commercial world. He looked down on pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-and-the-diamonds/my-dad-s-quite-a-conservative-person-and-he-brought-me-up-to-be-very/) [Marina and the Diamonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-and-the-diamonds/) > [I was strictly after hits when it came down to the Jackson 5. That's all I was concerned with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deke-richards/i-was-strictly-after-hits-when-it-came-down-to-the-jackson-5-that-s/) [Deke Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deke-richards/) > [Down where I grew up, able-bodied people do that which we believe God created them to do. Work is a blessing; it's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-southerland/down-where-i-grew-up-able-bodied-people-do-that-which-we-believe-god/) [Steve Southerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-southerland/) > [I have a tendency to campaign positively and campaign on issues, not try to tear someone else down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-k-davis/i-have-a-tendency-to-campaign-positively-and-campaign-on-issues-not/) [Danny K. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-k-davis/) > [I met Tyler Perry and we did 'House of Payne' and a movie. We've done a couple other films since then, but it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-gross/i-met-tyler-perry-and-we-did-house-of-payne-and-a-movie-we-ve-done-a/) [Lance Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-gross/) > [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) [Browse all 4,283 Down quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't want to shut down government.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Collins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Down" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/susan-collins-8729_down_i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government-202_2025261.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/susan-collins-8729_down_i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government-202_2025261.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/susan-collins-8729_down_i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government-202_2025261.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't want to shut down government.” — Susan Collins", "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": "Susan Collins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-collins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't want to shut down...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-collins/i-don-t-want-to-shut-down-government/#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 } } ] } ```