What was Thoreau's attitude concerning the role of the government?

Thoreau's
attitude towards government is best expressed in his essay "."  This essay starts with
a phrase that is commonly heard today: "That government is best which governs
least."

As a Transcendentalist, Thoreau believed that people should
follow their own consciences rather than doing what society expects of them.  This idea can very
often be at odds with the idea of having a government.  In Thoreau's case, the government
believed that fighting Mexico in the Mexican-American War was the thing to do.  Thoreau believed
it was wrong and therefore refused to pay his taxes.

So -- Thoreau believes
that government is bad because it tends to prevent people from following their consciences as
they should.  This led him to say "That government is best which governs not at all"
soon after the line I quoted above.