Democracy Quotes
Barack Obama and the Nigerian president Bola Tinubu have the most entries, with H. L. Mencken and Franklin Roosevelt behind them, so a lot of the page is speeches. For the dry material go to Mencken in Smart Set (1910), who called democracy the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard; Shaw’s Maxims for Revolutionists (1903), on election by the incompetent many instead of appointment by the corrupt few; and Disraeli’s Lothair (1870).
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch” is credited to Benjamin Franklin and flagged misattributed. The earliest version in the notes is a Usenet post from 23 April 1990. The line that democracy is the most vile form of government, credited to Madison, is flagged too.
If a democracy cannot change its mind, it ceases to be a democracy.
I will accept any choice of the people, because it is a democracy.
The truth is respectful opposition is not the enemy, it’s an important part of a health a democracy.
"Democracy must deliver dignity and hope, not just institutions."
“Development belongs to everyone, and democracy requires collective responsibility.”
What everyone should know is this: it is the Kurds who defend democracy.
"In a democracy, the people choose their rulers, and not the other way around."
"Democracy cannot simply be imported; it must emerge from the historical experience of a people."