15 quotes
Democracy is a garden that has to be tended.
When words stop meaning anything, when truth doesn’t matter, when people can just lie with abandon, democracy can’t work.
The essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny.
Lincoln -- they used to talk about him almost as bad as they talk about me. So democracy has never been for the faint of heart.
And the ability of citizens to organize and advocate for change -- that's the oxygen upon which democracy depends.
Remarks to the Kenyan People (2015)
Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path, and no path is perfect.
Democracy is sometimes messy, and for leaders, sometimes it's frustrating.
Remarks to the Kenyan People (2015)
Our democracy is not the buildings, not the monuments. It's you being willing to work to make things better and being willing to listen to each other and argue with each other and come together and knock on doors and make phone calls and treat people with respect.
Farewell to Staff Members (2017)
Our first and immutable commitment must be to the security of Israel, our only true ally in the Middle East and the only democracy
But that's the nature of democracy. That's why it works, is because it's constantly challenging leaders to up their game and to do better.
Remarks to the Kenyan People (2015)
Because for all our outward differences, we, in fact, all share the same proud title, the most important office in a democracy: Citizen.
Farewell Address (2017)
Each time we gather to inaugurate a President we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy.
It should be the power of our vote, not the size of our bank account, that drives our democracy.
Sixth State of the Union Address (2014)
There’s still enormous problems in our society. But democracy is the way that we solve them. That's how we got health care for more of our people.
Remarks to the People of Cuba (2016)
As I’ve said many times before, true democracy is a project that’s much bigger than any one of us. It’s bigger than any one person, any one president, any one government. It’s a job for all of us. It requires everyday sustained effort from all of us — the work of perfecting our union is never finished. We look forward to joining you in that effort as fellow citizens.