"That government is best which governs least"

I believe Thoreau means the less control the government has, or the more power to the people, generally, the better the overall country and government will work. I believe he is right to an extent, that communist and dictated countries have serious problems because the government controls too much, and the country doesn't show the face of its people, but the face of its leader. However, i believe too little control is a problem as well, some countries such as many in Africa have no government at all, which raises problems of the other extreme. Such as no law enforcement or regulations that protect people enough to allow them to have their power in their country.