Quotes About Democracy

Concerns about democracy's future are better directed elsewhere, John Paul argues, for if "there is no ultimate truth to guide and direct political activity, then ideas and convictions can easily be manipulated for reasons of power.

Voters don't decide issues, they decide who will decide issues.

Because of demagogues, rhetoric has a tainted reputation in our time. However, rhetoric is central to democratic governance. It can fuse passion and persuasion, moving free people to freely choose what is noble.

Le sacrifice de l'Homme à l'Humanité, de l'Humanité au Progrès, pour aboutir ridiculement au sacrifice du progrès lui-même à la dictature de l'Économique, tel fut le crime auquel restera toujours attaché le mot de la Démocratie, forme bourgeoise de la Révolution.

Taxation with representation ain't so hot either.

America now is stumbling through the darkness of hatred and divisiveness. Our values, our principles, and our determination to succeed as a free and democratic people will give us a torch to light the way. And we will survive and become the strongernot only because of a patriotism that stands for love of country, but a patriotism that stands for love of people.

Our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here, the people rule.

Our constitution works. Our great republic is a government of laws, not of men.

No matter whether the Constitution follows the flag or not, the Supreme Court follows the election returns.

I am not so much concerned with the right of everyone to say anything he pleases as I am about our need as self-governing people to hear everything relevant.

The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no domination. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely give. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and freedom of nations can make them.

It is my principle that the will of the majority should always prevail.

Burke said there were three Estates in Parliament; but in the reporters' gallery yonder, there sat a fourth Estate more important than them all.

Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

The people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.

Successful democratic politicians are insecure and intimidated men. They advance politically only as they placate, appease, bribe, seduce, bamboozle or otherwise manage to manipulate the demanding and threatening elements in their constituencies.

Ultimately politics in a democracy reflects values much more than it shapes them.

Freedom of conscience, of education, of speech, of assembly are among the very fundamentals of democracy and all of them would be nullified should freedom of the press ever be successfully challenged.

Republics are ungrateful.

Television is the first truly democratic culture - the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want.

The voice of the people is the voice of God.

It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts - for democracy.

The ballot is stronger than the bullet.

Communism, Marxism, Socialism, Fascism." Roarke jerked his shoulders. "Democracy, republic, monarchy. One is the same as the other to them. It's power, it's glory. It's revolution for the sake of it. Politics, religion, for some it remains their own narrow and personal view." "Conquer and rule?" Eve wondered.