The chief duty of government is to keep the peace and stand out of the sunshine of the people.

Attributed to James A. Garfield, the line expresses a minimalist view of government: its primary obligation is to preserve public order (“keep the peace”) while avoiding unnecessary interference in citizens’ lives (“stand out of the sunshine of the people”). The metaphor suggests that ordinary social and economic activity flourishes naturally when not overshadowed by state power. Read in the context of 19th‑century American political rhetoric, it aligns with themes of limited government and suspicion of patronage or overreach—government should secure basic conditions for liberty and prosperity, not attempt to manage or direct them.