evidence: A specific quote about the dangers of an oversized government has been widely attributed to Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president of the United States. It wasn’t him. In fact, a great many quotes attributed to Jefferson -- including the one about a "government big enough" -- have nothing to do with him at all! [...] "My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." [...] In 1857, the Reverend Ethan Allen (not this Ethan Allen) claimed in an anecdote to have heard Jefferson say this. No other evidence exists for its validity, and Jefferson’s complex relationship with religion - he famously rewrote the New Testament to remove the miracles - makes it highly questionable.