Once wide coercive powers are given to governmental agencies for particular purposes, such powers cannot be effectively controlled by democratic assemblies.
Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Granting governments wide coercive powers for specific purposes makes those powers hard to control later.
- In plain terms
- Once government gets too much power, it is hard to take back.
- What can you take from it?
- Limit initial power grants to prevent future loss of control.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we check power?
- When is broad power justified?
Another view
Sometimes broad powers are needed for emergencies.
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