“ Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it. ”
Ronald Reagan, Inaugural Address (20 January 1981). copy citation
| Author | Ronald Reagan |
|---|---|
| Source | Inaugural Address |
| Topic | government opportunity |
| Date | 20 January 1981 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/reagan1.asp |
Context
“All of us need to be reminded that the Federal Government did not create the States; the States created the Federal Government.
Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it is not my intention to do away with government. It is, rather, to make it work-work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it. If we look to the answer as to why, for so many years, we achieved so much, prospered as no other people on Earth, it was because here, in this land, we unleashed the energy and individual genius of man to a greater extent than has ever been done before.” source
Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it is not my intention to do away with government. It is, rather, to make it work-work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it. If we look to the answer as to why, for so many years, we achieved so much, prospered as no other people on Earth, it was because here, in this land, we unleashed the energy and individual genius of man to a greater extent than has ever been done before.” source
