Ronald Reagan Quotes

The government shouldn't run anything, because it cannot run anything.

Government has a legitimate sphere of operation. The problem arises when that sphere continually expands, encompassing areas where government lacks legitimacy.

I am not someone who tends to advocate for increased government involvement in the private sector.

The government playing entrepreneur is not a good role for the government.

In all the more advanced communities the great majority of things are worse done by the intervention of government than the individuals most interested in the matter would do them, or cause them to be done, if left to themselves.

It is just as important that business keep out of government as that government keep out of business.

People have to take responsibility for themselves. We need to get the housing industry going again. We don't need government intervening in every step.

There isn't one thing the federal government does that anybody in Big Business would emulate, at least not in the profit sector.

It's time to believe again in the potential of private enterprise set free from the shackles of over-bearing federal government.

Government 'help' to business is just as disastrous as government persecution... the only way a government can be of service to national prosperity is by keeping its hands off.

I think in the end the big issue is that the private sector still needs more help. And the answer is not more big government. I know in my state our reforms allowed us to protect firefighters, police officers, and teachers.

Whether we look at capitalism, taxes, business, or government, the data show a clear and consistent pattern: 70 percent of Americans support the free enterprise system and are unsupportive of big government.

There's an inverse relationship between the size and scope of government and the health of our free-market economy.

Washington politicians think that government can make better decisions than you and me. But we know better. We know it's smaller, less intrusive government that will lead to real economic prosperity. We know it's business-friendly policies, not more red tape, that will create real growth.

I do not believe in government ownership of anything which can with propriety be left in private hands, and in particular I should most strenuously object to government ownership of railroads. In my judgment public ownership of railroads is highly undesirable and would probably in this country entail far-reaching disaster.

Markets are smart and governments are dumb.

Less Government in Business and More Business in Government

Government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way.

I vote for every privatization bill that I can. It is the Left that opposes privatization. They just want to preserve their government jobs.

There's a very good reason that governments aren't supposed to compete with private-enterprise companies. Governments have monopolies on certain things, like eminent domain and deadly force.

I would prefer the [USA] government to be the policeman and not the businessman.

One of the reasons that I am in favor of less government is because when you have more government, industrialists take it over.

Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem. […] Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them. Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it. […] The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.

Anything that strengthens the private sector vs. the state is protective of personal freedom.

It’s amazing that people don’t understand that the more the market is involved and the smaller the government, the lower the price, the better the distribution, and the higher the quality.