Government

Works to read

• A Disquisition on Government by John C. Calhoun, 1849 (published 1851)
• Second Treatise of Government by John Locke, 1689 · Great Books
• Thoughts on Government and Selected Letters by John Adams, 1776-1826
• The Founding Documents by Continental Congress and United States Constitutional Convention, 1776-1791 · Great Books
• The Spirit of the Laws by Montesquieu, 1748 · Great Books
• Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835 / 1840 · Great Books
• The Arthashastra by Kautilya, c. 2nd century BCE – 3rd century CE
• The Athenian Constitution by Aristotle (attributed), c. 330 BC · Great Books
• The Articles of Confederation by Continental Congress, 1777 (ratified 1781) · Great Books
• The Virginia Declaration of Rights by George Mason, 1776
• Bureaucracy by Ludwig von Mises, 1944
• The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, 1951

Passages

From the texts

• That all men being born under government, some or other, it is impossible any of them should ever be free, and at liberty to unite together, and begin a new one, or ever be able to erect a lawful government.

  — John Locke, Second Treatise of Government

• If they see that our national government is efficient and well administered, our trade prudently regulated, our militia properly organized and disciplined, our resources and finances discreetly managed, our credit re-established, our people free, contented, and united, they will be much more disposed to cultivate our friendship than provoke our resentment.

  — Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, The Federalist Papers

Verified quotations

• And so lunatics and ideots are never set free from the government of their parents

  — John Locke, Second Treatise of Government

• Were there a people of gods, their government would be democratic. So perfect a government is not for men

  — Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract

• whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice

  — Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, The Federalist Papers

• As virtue is necessary in a republic, and in a monarchy honour, so fear is necessary in a despotic government

  — Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws

• His administration was temperate, as has been said before, and more like constitutional government than a tyranny.

  — Aristotle (attributed), The Athenian Constitution

• the most important point of excellence which any form of government can possess is to promote the virtue and intelligence of the people themselves.

  — John Stuart Mill, Considerations on Representative Government

Passages are verified quotations from the library that use one of these words: government, govern, rulers, ruler. Sentences under “From the texts” are copied word for word from the full texts in this library. Read each in its context on the work's page.