"A state is nothing more than a..." - Quote by Ronald Reagan
A state is nothing more than a reflection of its citizens; the more decent the citizens, the more decent the state.
More by Ronald Reagan
“The American taxing structure, the purpose of which was to serve the people, began instead to serve the insatiable appetite of government. If you will forgive me, you know someone has once likened government to a baby. It is an alimentary canal with an appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.”
“We in government should learn to look at our country with the eyes of the entrepreneur, seeing possibilities where others see only problems”
“You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly.”
More on Governance
“In the last analysis, one must be a military man in order to govern. It is only with boot and spurs that one can govern a horse.”
“A democracy is a state in which the poor, gaining the upper hand, kill some and banish others, and then divide the offices among the remaining citizens equally, usually by lot.”
“Just as it would be madness to settle on medical treatment for the body of a person by taking an opinion poll of the neighbors, so it is irrational to prescribe for the body politic by polling the opinions of the people at large.”
More on Citizenship
“The first requisite of a good citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight; that he shall not be a mere passenger, but shall do his share in the work that each generation of us finds ready to hand; and, furthermore, that in doing his work he shall show, not only the capacity for sturdy self-help, but also self-respecting regard for the rights of others.”
“The gift of a common tongue is a priceless inheritance and it may well some day become the foundation of a common citizenship.”
“You have to be organized, that you have to vote even when it's not exciting.”