Administration Quotes
Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things.
"Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things."— Adam Smith
Download in different sizes
Meaning of this quote
Peace, manageable taxation, and reliable justice are presented as conditions enabling prosperity.
Key takeaway:
Consider institutional stability alongside plans for economic growth.
Origin of the quote
John Rae, Life of Adam Smith (1895)
Who actually said this?
Rae reproduces this as a passage from Smith’s 1755 paper, via Dugald Stewart. Rae’s wording uses “required” and “affluence” rather than the supplied “requisite” and “opulence”.
