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Home: Topics: Politics & Government Quotes: Democracy Quotes

Democracy Quotes

Democracy is perhaps the only form of government that offers maximum say to the people. In fact, democracy is the only political system that allows active participation of the citizens in its political and civic life. Democracy not only is the best way to check the autocratic instincts of the government but is also one of the most effective ways to generate public opinion, diffuse power, achieve general consensus and more. These famous majority quotations and sayings bring out the true spirit of democracy. Read on for more on this.

Corruption is a cancer: a cancer that eats away at a citizen's faith in democracy, diminishes the instinct for innovation and creativity; already-tight national budgets, crowding out important national investments. It wastes the talent of entire generations. It scares away investments and jobs.

Corruption Talent Faith
Joe Biden

There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.

Good Life Knowledge
Isaac Asimov
B. R. Ambedkar

Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life.

Life Equality
B. R. Ambedkar
Thomas Mann

Democracy is timelessly human, and timelessness always implies a certain amount of potential youthfulness.

Sureness Possible Time Equality
Thomas Mann
Robert Kennedy, Jr.

Democracy is messy, and it's hard. It's never easy.

Robert Kennedy, Jr.
Tony Blair

Anywhere, anytime ordinary people are given the chance to choose, the choice is the same: freedom, not tyranny; democracy, not dictatorship; the rule of law, not the rule of the secret police.

People Freedom Law
Tony Blair
Charles Bukowski

The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting.

Voting Time
Charles Bukowski
Gilbert K. Chesterton

Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around.

Walking Politics
Gilbert K. Chesterton

Our Founding Fathers crafted a constitutional Republic for the first time in the history of the world because they were shaping a form of government that would not have the failures of a democracy in it, but had the representation of democracy in it.

World Time History
Steve King
Thurgood Marshall

Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.

Country
Thurgood Marshall

We need to intentionally invest in health, in home ownership, in entrepreneurship, in access to democracy, in economic empowerment. If we don't do these things, we shouldn't be surprised that racial inequality persists because inequalities compound.

Health Home
Pete Buttigieg
Shinzo Abe

I swear I will do everything in my power to change the situation in Tibet where human rights are being suppressed. Tibet seeks freedom and democracy and we agree on those values.

Change Power Freedom
Shinzo Abe
Tom Stoppard

It's not the voting that's democracy; it's the counting.

Voting Government
Tom Stoppard
Laurence J. Peter

Democracy is a process by which people are free to choose the man who will get the blame.

People
Laurence J. Peter
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.

Education
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Narendra Modi

I always say the strength of democracy lies in criticism. If there is no criticism, that means there is no democracy. And if you want to grow, you must invite criticism. And I want to grow; I want to invite criticism.

Strength
Narendra Modi
Jacinda Ardern

I really rebel against this idea that politics has to be a place full of ego and where you're constantly focused on scoring hits against each one another. Yes, we need a robust democracy, but you can be strong, and you can be kind.

Politics Ego
Jacinda Ardern

Public corruption is the FBI's top criminal priority. The threat - which involves the corruption of local, state, and federally elected, appointed, or contracted officials - strikes at the heart of government, eroding public confidence and undermining the strength of our democracy.

Confidence Strength Heart
James Comey
Benito Mussolini

Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy.

Practice
Benito Mussolini
David Graeber

It is assumed in many parts of the world that democracy is a group of people facing a certain problem, who come together to solve it in a way where everyone has an equal say.

People World Togetherness
David Graeber
Abbie Hoffman

You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.

Freedom
Abbie Hoffman

As all of our lives become digital, the logic of encryption is all of our lives will be covered by strong encryption, and therefore all of our lives - including the lives of criminals and terrorists and spies - will be in a place that is utterly unavailable to court-ordered process. And that, I think, to a democracy should be very, very concerning.

James Comey
H. L. Mencken

Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses.

Worship
H. L. Mencken
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.

Power Country Government
Franklin D. Roosevelt
George Soros

I chose America as my home because I value freedom and democracy, civil liberties and an open society.

Society Value Freedom Home
George Soros
H. L. Mencken

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.

Good People
H. L. Mencken

We know that when people are civically engaged, when they understand what their rights are, when they understand that in a democracy you can challenge governments, you can challenge policymakers, and you can... actually shape and form future policy, I think it changes the perception that a lot of young people have about where power is.

People Future
Ilhan Omar
Jorge Luis Borges

Democracy is an abuse of statistics.

Misuse Statistics Government
Jorge Luis Borges
Narendra Modi

India is a democracy; it is in our DNA.

Narendra Modi
Edward Snowden

When you are subverting the power of government, that's a fundamentally dangerous thing to democracy.

Power Government
Edward Snowden
Alexis de Tocqueville

Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.

Nothing Equality Liberty
Alexis de Tocqueville
Winston Churchill

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

Government
Winston Churchill
Merrick Garland

Transparency in government, no less than transparency in choosing government, remains a vital national interest in a democracy.

Government
Merrick Garland
Woodrow Wilson

The government, which was designed for the people, has got into the hands of the bosses and their employers, the special interests. An invisible empire has been set up above the forms of democracy.

Government People
Woodrow Wilson
John Adams

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.

John Adams
James Russell Lowell

Democracy gives every man the right to be his own oppressor.

Right Government
James Russell Lowell
Ronald Reagan

Democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.

Worth Government
Ronald Reagan
Sandra Day O'Connor

The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy. The problem comes when healthy criticism is replaced with more destructive intimidation and sanctions.

Criticism Freedom
Sandra Day O'Connor
Robert Kennedy

Elections remind us not only of the rights but the responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy.

Robert Kennedy
Alexis de Tocqueville

What is most important for democracy is not that great fortunes should not exist, but that great fortunes should not remain in the same hands. In that way there are rich men, but they do not form a class.

Greatness
Alexis de Tocqueville
Patrick Jake O'Rourke

The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it.

Achievement Politics Differences Government
Patrick Jake O'Rourke
Vladimir Putin

Nobody and nothing will stop Russia on the road to strengthening democracy and ensuring human rights and freedoms.

Nothing
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Lenin

Democracy is indispensable to socialism.

Socialism
Vladimir Lenin
Thomas More

The Bible is the rock on which this Republic rests.

Bible Belief Leader Rule
Thomas More
George Soros

A full and fair discussion is essential to democracy.

George Soros

Democracy is about institutions: it's about having things like schools and judiciary and the Ford Foundation, or 'The Nation' magazine - you need progressive institutions, you know what I mean? Those are important institutions to make sure that the government functions.

Government Nation
Robert Kennedy, Jr.

We can't have democracy if we're having to protect you and our users from the government over stuff we've never had a conversation about. We need to know what the parameters are, what kind of surveillance the government is going to do, and how and why.

Government
Larry Page
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Our democracy is designed to speak truth to power.

Power Truth
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Bernie Sanders

Citizens in a democracy need diverse sources of news and information.

News Information
Bernie Sanders
Anthony Kennedy

Democracy is something that you must learn each generation. It has to be taught.

Anthony Kennedy
Plato

Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty.

Autocracy Liberty
Plato
George Bernard Shaw

Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.

George Bernard Shaw
John F. Kennedy

The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.

Security
John F. Kennedy
Jimmy Carter

We've become, now, an oligarchy instead of a democracy. I think that's been the worst damage to the basic moral and ethical standards to the American political system that I've ever seen in my life.

Life
Jimmy Carter
Karl Marx

Democracy is the road to socialism.

Socialism
Karl Marx
H. L. Mencken

Democracy is only a dream: it should be put in the same category as Arcadia, Santa Claus, and Heaven.

Dreams Heaven
H. L. Mencken
Hugh Grant

A free press is the cornerstone of democracy; there is no question about that.

Hugh Grant
Jimmy Carter

The experience of democracy is like the experience of life itself-always changing, infinite in its variety, sometimes turbulent and all the more valuable for having been tested by adversity.

Adversity Experience Life
Jimmy Carter
Shinzo Abe

Japan and Australia share the universal values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights.

Freedom Law
Shinzo Abe
H. L. Mencken

Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.

Belief Wisdom
H. L. Mencken
Rupert Murdoch

You can't have a free democracy if you don't have a free media that can provide vital and independent information to the people.

People
Rupert Murdoch
Walter Winchell

Too many people expect wonders from democracy, when the most wonderful thing of all is just having it”

Abortion People Anticipation Wonder
Walter Winchell
H. L. Mencken

Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.

Government Art Science
H. L. Mencken
B. R. Ambedkar

Democracy is not merely a form of government. It is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience. It is essentially an attitude of respect and reverence towards fellow men.

Respect Experience
B. R. Ambedkar
Noam Chomsky

In this possibly terminal phase of human existence, democracy and freedom are more than just ideals to be valued - they may be essential to survival.

Endurance Freedom
Noam Chomsky
Indira Gandhi

This is why we feel that democracy's important: because democracy allows you to have small explosions and therefore avoid the bigger explosions.

Indira Gandhi
Alexander Hamilton

Real liberty is neither found in despotism or the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments.

Liberty
Alexander Hamilton
Woodrow Wilson

The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty.

Peace World
Woodrow Wilson
Anthony Kennedy

Political speech is indispensable to decision-making in a democracy, and this is no less true because the speech comes from a corporation rather than an individual.

Anthony Kennedy

Until the courts put a stop to it, public debate over same-sex marriage displayed American democracy at its best. Individuals on both sides of the issue passionately, but respectfully, attempted to persuade their fellow citizens to accept their views.

Best Marriage
Antonin Scalia
Kevin Spacey

Whether it's 'Veep' or 'Homeland' or 'The West Wing' - which is a more idealised version of democracy - people are fascinated by politics.

People Politics
Kevin Spacey
Jon Voight

Democracy is an extraordinary adventure. It's difficult, full of daring and risk and danger. But it's the greatest gift we have.

Adventure
Jon Voight
Andrew Jackson

Democracy shows not only its power in reforming governments, but in regenerating a race of men and this is the greatest blessing of free governments.

Power
Andrew Jackson
Anton Chekhov

Advertising is the very essence of democracy.

Anton Chekhov
George W. Bush

You can't put democracy and freedom back into a box.

Freedom
George W. Bush

Whatever your political leaning, vote. This participation is vital. I feel the same way about issues like the space program, education, the military. The more the public focuses on these things, thinks and forms opinions, I think the better we are as a democracy.

Education
Ron Howard
James Russell Lowell

Democracy is the form of government that gives every man the right to be his own oppressor.

Right Government
James Russell Lowell
Plato

Democracy... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.

Government Equality
Plato
James Madison

A pure democracy is a society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the government in person.

Society Government
James Madison
Keir Starmer

We must stand up for the principle of parliamentary democracy and not allow the government's failure in the Brexit process to be a licence for the U.K. to crash out of the E.U. without an agreement.

Government
Keir Starmer
Woodrow Wilson

Democracy is not so much a form of government as a set of principles.

Principles Government
Woodrow Wilson
Gary Oldman

The building of America has had its fair share of mistakes, but it's a constitution that's the jewel of democracy, the envy of many, and it's the most generous nation in the world.

World
Gary Oldman
Ruth Bader Ginsburg

If there was one decision I would overrule, it would be 'Citizens United.' I think the notion that we have all the democracy that money can buy strays so far from what our democracy is supposed to be.

Money Decision
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Sandra Day O'Connor

The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy.

Freedom
Sandra Day O'Connor
Vladimir Putin

Russian democracy is the power of the Russian people with their own traditions of national self-government, and not the realisation of standards foisted on us from outside.

People Power
Vladimir Putin
Bob Dylan

Democracy don't rule the world, You'd better get that in your head; This world is ruled by violence, But I guess that's better left unsaid.

World
Bob Dylan
Narendra Modi

From my intimate discussions with President Obama, it is evident that India figures significantly in American geo-political, economic and strategic thinking. India is the largest democracy in the world.

Thinking World
Narendra Modi
Richard Attenborough

I believe in trade unionism, and I believe in democracy, in democratic trade unionism.

Commerce
Richard Attenborough

If we want to preserve the foundation of our democracy, it's vital that we find common ground that allows us to work for the greater good of this nation. This does not mean giving up our values. This does not mean swallowing a bitter compromise.

Good Work Nation
Tulsi Gabbard
Bertrand Russell

Democracy is the process by which people choose the man who'll get the blame.

People
Bertrand Russell
Abraham Lincoln

As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.

Abraham Lincoln

To my mind, there is a solution which has to do with democracy, because democratic governments are subject to the will of the people. So, if the people will it, you can actually create international institutions through the democratic states.

People Mind
George Soros
Dick Cheney

We urge all democratic nations and the United Nations to answer the Iraqi Governing Council's call for support for the people of Iraq in making the transition to democracy.

People Support
Dick Cheney
Dan Bongino

While no famine has ever taken place in a democracy, they're the rule rather than the exception in socialist countries.

Dan Bongino
Viggo Mortensen

You know, real life doesn't just suddenly resolve itself. You have to keep working at it. Democracy, marriage, friendship. You can't just say, 'She's my best friend.' That's not a given, it's a process.

Best Life
Viggo Mortensen
Hillary Clinton

The worst thing that can happen in a democracy - as well as in an individual's life - is to become cynical about the future and lose hope.

Life Hope Future
Hillary Clinton

I say that democracy can never prove itself beyond cavil, until it founds and luxuriantly grows its own forms of art, poems, schools, theology, displacing all that exists, or that has been produced anywhere in the past, under opposite influences.

Art Past
Walt Whitman
Keir Starmer

Surveillance legislation fit for the 21st century, which strikes the right balance between privacy, security and democracy is a prize worth fighting for, and Labour will work constructively with the government to achieve it.

Work Government Fighting
Keir Starmer
Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I think the notion that we have all the democracy that money can buy strays so far from what our democracy is supposed to be.

Money
Ruth Bader Ginsburg

If you want to preserve - I'm very serious now - if you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and many times adversarial press. And without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That's how dictators get started.

Time
John McCain