“In a democracy, every ordinary citizen is effectively a king--but a king in a constitutional democracy, a monarch who decides only formally, whose function is merely to sign off on measures proposed by an executive administration. This is why the problem with democratic rituals is homologous to the great problem of constitutional monarchy: how to protect the dignity of the king? How to maintain the appearance that the king effectively makes decisions, when we all know this not to be true?” KnowsProblemDecisionDemocracyKingsCitizensProtectOrdinaryDignityFunctionDemocraticAppearanceBeing TrueAdministrationExecutivesRitualMonarchyMonarchsOrdinary CitizensConstitutional MonarchySigning Off Book:First As Tragedy, Then As Farce Source: First As Tragedy, Then As Farce
“My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.” GovernmentTogetherLevelsDemocracyCreatingCommittedAdministrationWorking TogetherOpennessCollaborationEfficiencyParticipationEffectivenessTransparencyUnprecedentedPublic TrustCooperation And Collaboration Author:Barack Obama
“Every American should have above average income, and my Administration is going to see they get it.” ShouldPoliticalDemocracyShould HaveAverageIncomeAdministrationAbove Average Author:William J. Clinton
“Let's go back to the beginning of the Obama administration, when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama led NATO in toppling the government in Libya. They did it because they wanted to promote democracy. A number of Republicans supported them. Well, the result is, Libya is now a terrorist war zone run by jihadists.” WellsWarGovernmentRunningWantedResultsNumbersDemocracyRepublicanClintonTerroristAdministrationBarackZoneNatoLibyaWar Zones Author:Ted Cruz
“What we have now is democracy without citizens. No one is on the public's side. All the buyers are on the corporations' side. And the bureaucrats in the Administration don't think the government belongs to the people.” PeopleThinkingGovernmentSidesDemocracyCitizensAdministrationCorporationsBureaucratsBuyers Author:Ralph Nader
“During most of the Bush administration, human rights and democracy in Egypt were on the front burner.” HumansDemocracyRightsFrontsHuman RightsAdministrationEgypt Author:Elliott Abrams
“To make fun of an administration, to make fun of anything, Mark Twain said, is the last defense of democracy.” SaidLastsFunDemocracyMarkDefenseAdministration Author:Robin Williams
“I think in Pakistan there is already democracy and no dictatorship. And recently a few years ago, the Pakistani people stood against the dictatorship of [Pervez] Musharraf and compelled him to resign. So now it is the people's democracy so I don't think any chance that the people should stand against this administration. Pakistan's situation is different than Egypt. They cannot be compared.” PeopleThinkingShouldYearsDifferentChanceSituationDemocracyYears AgoAdministrationDictatorshipEgyptPakistanCompelledMusharraf Author:Shahbaz Bhatti
“If you look at the Associated Press wires, there's a constant flow of information coming in. At that time I happened to have direct access to AP wires. The day the marines landed in Haiti and restored [ Jan Bètran] Aristide there was a lot of excitement about the dedication to democracy and so on. But the day before the marines landed, when every journalist was looking at Haiti because it was assumed that something big was happening, the AP wires reported that then [Bill] Clinton administration had authorized Texaco to ship oil illegally to the military junta.” IfsLooksBigsDemocracyHappenedMilitaryInformationHappeningsFlowDirectBillsPressesConstantClintonOilAccessShipsAdministrationJournalistExcitementDedicationMarineWireHaiti Author:Noam Chomsky
“In general the 53 countries on the continent of Africa have made great progress towards freedom and democracy, and in terms of electing good, sound administrations.” MadeCountrySoundTermDemocracyProgressAdministrationContinentsGreat Progress Author:Jimmy Carter
“It is clear that whatever language of democracy [Barack] Obama and his administration use is very tactically deployed, and has as its main aim the extension of US power and interests.” UseLanguageInterestDemocracyClearAimAdministrationBarackExtensions Author:Judith Butler
“I am not sure that I know enough about the pre-history of 9/11 to agree or disagree. But I did think at the time that the [George W.] Bush administration took a number of cues from the Israeli government, not only by drawing on and intensifying anti-Arab racism, but by insisting that the attack on US government and financial buildings was an attack on "democracy" and by invoking "security at all costs" to wage war without a clear focus (why the Taliban?), and by suspending both constitutional rights and the regular protocol for congressional approval for declaring war.” ThinkingKnowsWarEnoughGovernmentNumbersDemocracyClearFocusRightsSecurityBuildingCostRacismAgreeFinancialDrawingAdministrationNot SureDisagreeApprovalIsraeliTalibanDeclaringInsistingProtocolConstitutional RightsDeclaring War Author:Judith Butler