What is the quote about the best government being the one that governs least and who said it?

Answer by  Peter1563 (265)

The exact quote is "The best government is that which governs least." It is often attributed to Thomas Paine or Thomas Jefferson, but in fact it is the motto of the United States Magazine and Democratic Review, and was coined by editor John L. O'Sullivan.

Answer by  tamkees (3203)

The acutal quote is "That government is best which governs least." It's attributed to Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau was a transcendentalist, a mid-19th century group that formed in protest to the prevailing culture of the day. Economist Milton Friedman apparently agreed when a century later he said, "The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem."