The people are the government, administering it by their agents they are the government, the sovereign power.

The line asserts a populist theory of republican government: ultimate sovereignty rests with the people, while officeholders are merely agents empowered to administer public will. In this view, “government” is not a separate ruling class but an instrument delegated by citizens, who retain the right to judge, correct, and replace their representatives. Attributed to Andrew Jackson, the sentiment aligns with Jacksonian-era rhetoric that emphasized popular sovereignty and suspicion of entrenched elites. The phrasing also underscores a constitutional principle—legitimacy flows upward from the governed—while implying that public officials who act as if they themselves are sovereign misunderstand their role.