The single most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence, because it's so rare.

The single most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence, because it's so rare.

You can't run a government solely on a business basis ... Government should be human. It should have a heart.

You can't run a government solely on a business basis ... Government should be human. It should have a heart.

Which is the best government? That which teaches us to govern ourselves

Which is the best government? That which teaches us to govern ourselves

Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to provide for human wants. Men have a right that these wants should read more

Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to provide for human wants. Men have a right that these wants should be provided for by this wisdom.

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.

Doing what's right isn't the problem. It's knowing what's right.

Doing what's right isn't the problem. It's knowing what's right.

If men were angels, no government would be necessary.

If men were angels, no government would be necessary.

The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people read more

The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.

So that every wand or staff of empire is forsooth curved at top.
[Lat., Adeo ut omnes imperii virga read more

So that every wand or staff of empire is forsooth curved at top.
[Lat., Adeo ut omnes imperii virga sive bacillum vere superius
inflexum sit.]