Quotes About Government

For a Monarchy readily becomes a Tyranny, an Aristocracy an Oligarchy, while a Democracy tends to degenerate into Anarchy.

The salvation of a republic or a kingdom is not, therefore, merely to have a prince who governs prudently while he lives, but rather one who organizes the government in such a way that after his death it can be maintained.

A prince who is free to do as he pleases is unreasonable, and a people that is free to do as it pleases is not wise. If we consider princes restricted by laws and a people bound by laws, we will find greater qualities in the people than in the princes.

there are two distinct viewpoints in every republic: that of the populace and that of the elite. All the laws made in order to foster liberty result from the tensions between them

good individuals cannot exist without good education, and good education cannot exist without good laws

When a newly acquired State has been accustomed, as I have said, to live under its own laws and in freedom, there are three methods whereby it may be held. The first is to destroy it; the second, to go and reside there in person; the third, to suffer it to live on under its own laws, subjecting it to a tribute, and entrusting its government to a few of the inhabitants who will keep the rest your friends

therefore, who acquires such a State, if he mean to keep it, must see to two things; first, that the blood of the ancient line of Princes be destroyed; second, that no change be made in respect of laws or taxes; for in this way the newly acquired State speedily becomes incorporated with the hereditary.

The chief foundations of all states, new as well as old or composite, are good laws and good arms; and as there cannot be good laws where the state is not well armed

government should be elevated into a living moral force, capable of inspiring the people with a just recognition of the fundamental principles of society;

in all cities, these two distinct parties are found, and from this it arises that the people do not wish to be ruled nor oppressed by the nobles, and the nobles wish to rule and oppress the people; and from these two opposite desires there arises in cities one of three results, either a principality, self-government, or anarchy. A

the authority that is seized by violence, not that given by votes, harms republics.

ALL STATES, ALL POWERS, THAT HAVE HELD AND HOLD RULE OVER MEN HAVE been and are either republics or principalities.

for monarchy easily becomes tyranny, aristocracy easily becomes oligarchy, and democracy easily converts to anarchy. Thus anyone organizing a government according to one of the good forms does so for but a short time, because no precaution will prevent it from slipping into its opposite, so closely are the virtues and vices of the two related.

A government which does not trust its citizens to be armed is not itself to be trusted.

Pero cuando las ciudades o provincias están acostumbradas a vivir bajo un principe, y por la extinción de éste y su linaje queda vacante el gobierno, como por un lado los habitantes estfán habituados a obedecer y por otro no tienen a quién, y no se ponen de acuerdo para elegir a uno de entre ellos, ni saben vivir en libertad, y por último tampoco se deciden a tomar las armas contra el invasor, un principe puede fácilmente conquistarlas y retenerlas.

There cannot be good laws where the state is not well armed, it follows that where they are well armed they have good laws.

Having Come to Freedom, a Corrupt People Can with the Greatest Difficulty Maintain Itself Free

Machiavelli was in constant trouble for failing to keep the politicians properly informed of what he was up to. 16 One cannot help but feel his behavior suggests a professional civil servant's contempt for the amateurs from whom he was obliged to take his instructions, an attitude that could easily have led him to long for more authoritarian government.

los cimientos indispensables a todos los Estados, nuevos, antiguos o mixtos, son las buenas leyes y las buenas tropas; y

príncipe cuyo gobierno descanse en soldados mercenarios no estará nunca seguro ni tranquilo, porque están desunidos, porque son ambiciosos, desleales, valientes entre los amigos, pero cobardes cuando se encuentran frente a los enemigos; porque no tienen disciplina, como tienen temor de Dios ni buena fe con los hombres; de modo que no se difiere la ruina sino mientras se difiere la ruptura; y

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Ecclesiastical princes alone possess states, and do not defend them; subjects, and do not govern them. And though their states are not defended they are not taken away from them; and their subjects, being without government, do not worry about it and neither can hope to overthrow it in favour of another. So these principalities alone are secure and happy.

The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms; and because you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow.