Who said “Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no…”?

Verified

Ronald Reagan. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceJoke during his 1965 campaign for Governor of California, as quoted by Leo E. Litwak in The New York Times Magazine (14 November 1965), p. 174.

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“Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.”
— Ronald Reagan
VerifiedJoke during his 1965 campaign for Governor of California, as quoted by Leo E. Litwak in The New York Times Magazine (14 November 1965), p. 174. · evidenceGovernment

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Joke during his 1965 campaign for Governor of California, as quoted by Leo E. Litwak in The New York Times Magazine (14 November 1965), p. 174..

APA

Reagan, R. (n.d.). Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/16835-government-is-like-a-baby-an-alimentary-canal/

MLA

Reagan, Ronald. “Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/16835-government-is-like-a-baby-an-alimentary-canal/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Reagan, Ronald. “Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/16835-government-is-like-a-baby-an-alimentary-canal/.

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