"People do not make wars; governments do"

This quote by Ronald Reagan is a tip that it is federal governments, not individuals, who are accountable for wars. It is governments who decide to go to war, and it is federal governments who are responsible for the consequences of those decisions. People might be associated with wars, but it is federal governments who are ultimately responsible for starting them. This quote acts as a suggestion that governments ought to be held accountable for their actions, which people ought to not be blamed for the decisions of their governments. It is very important to bear in mind that federal governments are the ones who make the decisions to go to war, and that individuals must not be delegated the effects of those decisions.