Democracy Quotes

We must take human nature as we find it, perfection falls not to the share of mortals.

We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.

The true purpose of education is to prepare young men and women for effective citizenship in a free form of government.

We believe in the principle that governments are properly established only when it is with the consent of the governed.

We, the people, elect leaders not to rule but to serve.

The Founders conceived government as the servant, not the master of the individual.

The government in Washington belongs to you.

The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes.

Never let yourself be persuaded that any one Great Man, any one leader, is necessary to the salvation of America. When America consists of one leader and 158 million followers, it will no longer be America.

I firmly believe that the army of persons who urge greater and greater centralization of authority and greater and greater dependence upon the Federal Treasury are really more dangerous to our form of government than any external threat that can possibly be arrayed against us.

The future of this Republic is in the hands of the American voter.

Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage.

Our American heritage is threatened as much by our own indifference as it is by the most unscrupulous office or by the most powerful foreign threat.

Basic to our democratic civilization are the principles and convictions that have bound us together as a nation. Among these are personal liberty, human rights, and the dignity of man. All these have their roots in a deeply held religious faith -- in a belief in God.

Ours would be a sickly democracy - sluggish with age and complacence - if we did not debate great issues with honest zeal. Any enemy that professes to find comfort in this fact confesses his ignorance of democracy's true strength.

My focus is on governance. Country has been at greatest loss because governments were run only for elections. Governments must not run only for elections. The government should be a bona fide attempt of meeting the demands and expectations of the common people.

Our nations (India and USA) may have been shaped by differing histories, cultures, and faiths. Yet, our belief in democracy for our nations and liberty for our countrymen is common. The idea that all citizens are created equal is a central pillar of the American constitution. Our founding fathers too shared the same belief and sought individual liberty for every citizen of India.

Afghanistan's success is a deeply held hope and desire of every Indian. It comes from the love and admiration for Afghans in our hearts. We want to see your democracy strike deep roots; your people unite; and your economy prosper.

Criticism is the soul of democracy. If democracy truly runs in your veins, you must embrace it.

If you were to ask me to choose between democratic values and wealth, power, prosperity and fame, I will easily and with any doubt choose democratic values. So if you were to ask me whether you need a dictatorship to run India, no you do not.