What does the quote 'That government is best which governs least' from Henry David Thoreau mean?

Answer 1

The context is:

I HEARTILY ACCEPT the motto, - "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe, - "That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have.

Essentially Thoreau is saying that people are better off when they are left to themselves, without the government's meddling (which is most of what government does). But, he qualifies the statement, it takes a particular sort of person to be able to live in such a society (without it breaking up into hunter-gather bands).

Answer 2

The Government who lets the voices of the civilians be heard the most is best. A government that lets its citizens make their own decisions, and stays out of their affairs will be more prosperous than that which tries to govern in every dimension of their lives.

Answer 3

A government is necessary to keep a country in an order. But it should interfere only as little as possible. If people can organize some areas of their lives by themselves, government should not mess with it.

Answer 4

This quote by Henry David Thoreau suggests that a government that interferes the least in the lives of its citizens is the most effective. Thoreau believed in individual autonomy and self-reliance, and felt that excessive government involvement could infringe on individual freedom. He advocated for a more minimalist approach to governance.