Winston Churchill on Democracy
1874–1965 England
← All quotes by Winston Churchill
6 quotes
I am a child of the House of Commons. I was brought up in my father's house to believe in democracy. "Trust the people"—that was his message.
Democracy is not a caucus, obtaining a fixed term of office by promises, and then doing what it likes with the people. We hold that there ought to be a constant relationship between the rulers and the people. "Government of the people, by the people, for the people," still remains the sovereign definition of democracy.
[T]he British workman has more to hope for from the rising tide of Tory democracy than from the dried up drain-pipe of Radicalism.
Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time; but there is the broad feeling in our country that the people should rule, continuously rule, and that public opinion, expressed by all constitutional means, should shape, guide, and control the actions of Ministers who are their servants and not their masters.
Democracy means that if the doorbell rings in the early hours, it is likely to be the milkman.
Disputed
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter
Misattributed