--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If men be good, government cannot be bad." description: "\"If men be good, government cannot be bad.\" — William Penn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/william-penn-1104_be-good_if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad_1332468.png" --- # If men be good, government cannot be bad. ![“If men be good, government cannot be bad.” quote by William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/william-penn-1104_be-good_if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad_1332468.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/william-penn-1104_be-good_if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad_1332468.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/william-penn-1104_be-good_if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad_1332468.png) > “If men be good, government cannot be bad.” [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If citizens are virtuous, the government cannot be corrupt. **In simple terms:** Good people keep government good. Key Takeaway Promote civic virtue. Themes ethics government citizenship Mood critical thought‑provoking Type political ethical When to use this quote - voting - community service - public office - civic education Key Concepts political theory social contract Questions to Reflect On - How can societies ensure virtuous leadership? - What role do institutions play in preventing corruption? A Different Perspective Corruption can persist despite individual virtue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-bad-338763/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-good/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [Let men be good, and the Government cannot be bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/let-men-be-good-and-the-government-cannot-be-bad/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them, and as governments are made and moved by men, so by them they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/governments-like-clocks-go-from-the-motion-men-give-them-and-as/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [“We all know that we have to put up with a bad government when it is bad; the problem is to find a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/we-all-know-that-we-have-to-put-up-with-a-bad-government-when-it-is/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The only good government... Is a bad one in a hell of a fright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-cary/the-only-good-government-is-a-bad-one-in-a-hell-of-a-fright/) [Joyce Cary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-cary/) > [Let men say we be men of good government, being governed, as the sea is, by our noble and chaste mistress the moon, under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-men-say-we-be-men-of-good-government-being-governed-as-the-sea-is/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't believe less in American government because of a bad politician. I don't believe less in the Catholic Church because of a criminal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lino-rulli/i-don-t-believe-less-in-american-government-because-of-a-bad/) [Lino Rulli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lino-rulli/) > [Anything that shifts power from the individual judgment of free citizens to government is a bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/anything-that-shifts-power-from-the-individual-judgment-of-free/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [Can I say one other thing that's very important? I'm indebted to Donald Trump for a long time, we've had this problem that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/can-i-say-one-other-thing-that-s-very-important-i-m-indebted-to/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war on liberty, and that the democratic government is at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-that-all-government-is-evil-in-that-all-government-must/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Crawling out of the flophouse I saw the mayor stealing my junk I doth protest, citizen's arrest Now my body's in his trunk Where's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/they-might-be-giants/crawling-out-of-the-flophouse-i-saw-the-mayor-stealing-my-junk-i-doth/) [They Might Be Giants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/they-might-be-giants/) > [The assumption that everyone in government is a bad actor imperils our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asha-rangappa/the-assumption-that-everyone-in-government-is-a-bad-actor-imperils/) [Asha Rangappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asha-rangappa/) > [I think there were bad actors in the government and bad actors in the finance, mortgage, markets industries that need to be called out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-think-there-were-bad-actors-in-the-government-and-bad-actors-in-the/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Bad government is the natural product of rule by those who believe government is bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-frank/bad-government-is-the-natural-product-of-rule-by-those-who-believe/) [Thomas Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-frank/) > [Ideology that believes government is bad, and that public institutions and places are not valuable, is as destructive as corporate greed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-dill/ideology-that-believes-government-is-bad-and-that-public-institutions/) [Cynthia Dill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-dill/) > [Blaming the government for all the bad things that happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/blaming-the-government-for-all-the-bad-things-that-happen/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by William Penn > [Love grows. Lust wastes by Enjoyment, and the Reason is, that one springs from an Union of Souls, and the other from an Union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/love-grows-lust-wastes-by-enjoyment-and-the-reason-is-that-one/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Once you've accumulated sufficient knowledge to get by, you're too old to remember it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/once-you-ve-accumulated-sufficient-knowledge-to-get-by-you-re-too-old/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [If thou wouldn't conquer thy weakness thou must not gratify it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldn-t-conquer-thy-weakness-thou-must-not-gratify-it/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Religion is the fear of God, and its demonstration good works; and faith is the root of both: For without faith we cannot please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/religion-is-the-fear-of-god-and-its-demonstration-good-works-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [All excess is ill; but drunkenness is of the worst sort. It spoils health, dismounts the mind, and unmans men. It reveals secrets, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/all-excess-is-ill-but-drunkenness-is-of-the-worst-sort-it-spoils/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [“Let us then try what love can do to mend a broken world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/let-us-then-try-what-love-can-do-to-mend-a-broken-world/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > ['Tis no sin to be tempted, but to be overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/tis-no-sin-to-be-tempted-but-to-be-overcome/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Perfect love casteth out fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/perfect-love-casteth-out-fear/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [By liberty of conscience, we understand not only a mere liberty of the mind, in believing or disbelieving this or that principle or doctrine;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/by-liberty-of-conscience-we-understand-not-only-a-mere-liberty-of-the/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Content not thyself that thou art virtuous in the general; for one link being wanting, the chain is defective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/content-not-thyself-that-thou-art-virtuous-in-the-general-for-one/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [We are apt to be very pert at censuring others, where we will not endure advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/we-are-apt-to-be-very-pert-at-censuring-others-where-we-will-not/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [It is admirable to consider how many millions of people come into, and go out of the world, ignorant of themselves and of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/it-is-admirable-to-consider-how-many-millions-of-people-come-into-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God, and to do that, thou must be ruled by him... Those who will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldst-rule-well-thou-must-rule-for-god-and-to-do-that-thou/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourselves and be still. Wait upon God, and feel His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/in-the-rush-and-noise-of-life-as-you-have-intervals-step-home-within/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Be sure that religion cannot be right that a man is the worse for having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/be-sure-that-religion-cannot-be-right-that-a-man-is-the-worse-for/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) [Explore all 291 William Penn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) [Randy Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-anderson/) > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. 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Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) [Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If men be good, government cannot be bad.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Penn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/william-penn-1104_be-good_if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad_1332468.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/william-penn-1104_be-good_if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad_1332468.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efb/william-penn-1104_be-good_if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad_1332468.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If men be good, government cannot be bad.” — William Penn", "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": "William Penn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If men be good, government cannot...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-men-be-good-government-cannot-be-bad/#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 } } ] } ```