I was listening to an audio file of the latest book by Alan Greenspan and during one of the chapters he quotes Ronald Reagan:

Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.

Looking around today it doesn't appear that we all feel this way anymore (if we ever did agree with this statement). Personally I agree with this quote and wish that our country could try to minimize the impact that government has in our lives.

One other quote that I find sad but true is:

The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

You can read more quotes from Reagan at BrainyQuote.