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About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker advocates for a government that is poor but leaves the people rich.
In plain terms
Keep the government small so the people can prosper.
What can you take from it?
Limit government to maximize private prosperity.

Where it applies

  • discussing taxation
  • economic reform
  • political philosophy

Putting it to work

  • speech
  • policy statement
  • opinion column

Questions to consider

  • Should government be small?
  • What is a rich society?

Another view

A small government may lack resources to help those who cannot prosper alone.

More from Andrew Johnson

  1. Legislation can neither be wise nor just which seeks the welfare of a single interest at the expense and to the injury of many and varied interests at least eq…

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  2. Your President is now the Tribune of the people, and, thank God, I am, and intend to assert the power which the people have placed in me... Tyranny and despoti…

    Permalink to quote #11
  3. I have had a son killed, a son-in-law die during the last battle of Nashville, another son has thrown himself away, a second son-in-law is in no better conditi…

    Permalink to quote #8

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