anyone know the meaning of this quote by Thomas Jefferson?

Question

"were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

my textbook just had only this of the quote and yes i noticed that this isn't the entire quote

Answer 1

That is not the full quote.
Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” So wrote Thomas Jefferson to a friend in January 1787.

Answer 2

You need to give the entire quote, which is

“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” So wrote Thomas Jefferson to a friend in January 1787.

The meaning is pretty clear when you quote the entire sentence that Mr. Jefferson wrote to his friend.

Answer 3

I'm not sure, but I think that there is an understood 'or not' as in 'whether or not' we should have a government. Then the "latter' would be NOT have a government.

Thomas Jefferson preferred a strictly limited federal government, in favor of states rights. It was ironic then that "some of his foreign policies did in fact strengthen the government. Most important was the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, when he used what he considered to be implied Constitutional powers to annex a huge foreign territory and all its French and Indian inhabitants" (he didn't have the strict Constitutional power to do so, but just couldn't resist a bargain when Napoleon offered it) The United States doubled in size at pennies an acre...not a bad deal, when you think about it.

Answer 4

Read the complete quote to understand it.
"The basis of our government being the opinion of people, the very first object should be to keep that right; Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them." - Thomas Jefferson.

Answer 5

Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

The real quote by TJ.

Answer 6

Wish I had the complete quote and the context in which it was first written/spoken. I know that Jefferson felt betrayed when the Constitution was written and approved while he was ambassador in France. Jefferson believed that American government should be based upon the self-sufficient "yeoman" farmer, and that the people could and would make wise decisions. He was suspicious of a strong federal government, and felt that the states should have the most power.

Answer 7

I believe this is the quote you are referring to--

''Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter''

which means--
Certainly, one key hallmark of democracy is free press. A press that is free to criticize the government is essential for democracy. Someone said
"freedom of the press is the freedom of those people who own press."
The press may also act on its own self-interest and try to promote it rather than working for the public interest. On the other hand, there is temptation on the part of those in power to suppress the press that does not cooperate, and to utilize the press that does. There is probably no quick solution to this vicious circle except to build an educated and enlightened citizenry on which the free and responsible press depends.

Answer 8

The quote you give is incomplete. The actual quote is "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

I think you will find the added reference to newspapers (the press) to make the quote more understandable.

Answer 9

A la Bobby Brown-------It's my perrogative--------He was making a double entendre.

Sorry, I'm Canadian but here goes...

Jefferson believed that each individual has "certain inalienable rights". That is, these rights exist with or without government; man cannot create, take, or give them away. It is the right of "liberty" on which Jefferson is most notable for expounding. He defines it by saying "rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law', because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual."[18] Hence, for Jefferson, though government cannot create a right to liberty, it can indeed violate it. And the limit of an individual's rightful liberty is not what law says it is but is simply a matter of stopping short of prohibiting other individuals from having the same liberty. A proper government, for Jefferson, is one that not only prohibits individuals in society from infringing on the liberty of other individuals, but also restrains itself from diminishing individual liberty.

Answer 10

He would rather there not be a government if he had to decide.

Remember, he is the father of democracy where the people are the government.

I see by other posters that you didn't complete the quote. "The latter" means the second choice of the two. That should help you figure it out.