Can you paraphrase this?

Question

I HEARTILY ACCEPT the motto, — "That government is best which governs least";(1) 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. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government. The standing army is only an arm of the standing government. The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it.

Answer 1

This, comes from the Federalist Papers. Essentially this (very small) excerpt from these articles says that smaller less intrusive government is best. The PEOPLE should be the decision makers and not a standing government. It says that all governments are eventually inefficient bureaucracies. Some more than others. AND all governments are liable to be abused by those in power. It also assumes that men will become more educated, erudite and capable of self governing; at which point a centralized government, no longer being necessary, will have minimal to no power.

There was a previous essay written about the need of a standing army balanced against possible abuses of that army. This refers back to that previous point in supporting the above statement.

The basic argument of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in their extensive set of essays was that the power of the government should be minimal -- ranging from the power of legislative control, the balance of power of the branches of government, the forming of a standing army, to the levying of taxes.

The government of today is exactly what these Founding Fathers were warning against in this set of essays.

You can read all of the Federalist Papers at:
http://www.foundingfathers.info/federalistpapers/fedindex.htm

Answer 2

The less govt the better -- and as people grow able to take care of themselves, govt should reduce itself.

Govts that try to maintain control over people who no longer need them are defeating the purpose of govt.

Answer 3

Paraphrase: Anarchy rules!

Answer 4

Yup.