Quotes About Democracy

If, instead of all the diverse powers which excessively hindered or slowed down the flight of reason of the individual, democratic nations substituted the absolute power of a majority, only the character of this social ill would have been changed. Men would not have achieved the means of living independently; they would simply have lighted upon—a difficult enough task in itself—a new face of enslavement.

Democracy "Democracy is the most fragile thing on earth, for what does it rest upon? You and me, and the fact that we agree to maintain it. The moment either of us says we will not, that's the end of it. It doesn't rest on anything but us; it doesn't rest on armed force, the moment it does it isn't democracy. It isn't something to kick around or experiment with." —Allen Drury, Stanford University (age 19)

Democracy! Bah! When I hear that word I reach for my feather boa!

VOTE, n. The instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.

BALLOT, n. A simple device by which a majority proves to a minority the folly of resistance. Many worthy persons of imperfect thinking apparatus believe that majorities govern through some inherent right; and minorities submit, not because they must, but because they ought.

But a voting-machine that human ingenuity can not pervert, human ingenuity can not invent. That

Democracy is a wonderful thing, Mr Burnham,' he said wistfully. 'It is a marvellous tamasha that keeps the common people busy so that men like ourselves can take care of all matters of importance. I hope one day India will also be able to enjoy these advantages—and China too, of course.

What happens now?' 'The people will decide,' said Pike. Orso glanced about him. At the people. 'Really?' He gave a puzzled smile. 'Are they equipped for that?

We learned in World War II that no single nation holds a monopoly on wisdom, morality or right to power, but that we must fight for the weak and promote democracy.

The American flag is an enduring symbol of liberty, democracy, and justice. It is fitting that the House act to protect it as we approach our nation's birthday, and as our men and women in uniform rally behind it in Iraq's battlefields.

Here we stand, just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground. It did not happen. It will never happen. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

I also know that there have been many times in our history when the proximity of an election has induced exactly the kind of leadership and consensus-building that produce progress in our democracy.

his administration from making progress on any significant foreign policy issue over four years. His open hostility toward democratically elected leaders and his open admiration for autocrats also caused grave damage to America's reputation on the international stage.

When faith in our freedom gives way to fear of our freedom, silencing the minority view becomes the operative protocol.

Democracy requires the ability of a population to pay attention long enough to identify real problems, distinguish them from fantasies, come up with solutions, and hold their leaders accountable if they fail to deliver them.

I don't think it's a coincidence that this crisis in paying attention has taken place at the same time as the worst crisis of democracy since the 1930s. People who can't focus will be more drawn to simplistic authoritarian solutions--and less likely to see clearly when they fail. A world full of attention-deprived citizens alternating between Twitter and Snapchat will be a world of cascading crises where we can't get a handle on any of them.

There's nothing naive about believing that concerted democratic campaigning can change the world. As the anthropologist Margaret Mead said: "It's the only thing that ever has.

As democracy modifies our conception of life, it constantly raises the value and function of each member of the community, however humble he may be.

Where the law of the majority ceases to be acknowledged, there government ends; the law of the strongest takes its place, and life and property are his who can take them.

Radical Islamic fundamentalists harbor contempt for our democratic way of life and, given the opportunity, will stop at nothing to accomplish their goal of bringing our country to its knees.

We got rid of a terrible dictator. We gave the Iraqi people an opportunity for a new life under a representative form of government.

to achieve unity without uniformity is the whole essence of the democratic way of life.

In our democracy every young person should have an equal opportunity to obtain a higher education, regardless of his station in life or financial means.

Democracy is the wholesome and pure air without which a socialist public organization cannot live a full-blooded life.