“The unanimously applauded, self-congratulatory bromides of a Soviet Party Congress seemed contemptible. The unanimity of the sanctimonious, reality-concealing rhetoric spouted by American officials and media commentators in recent days seems, well, unworthy of a mature democracy.” WellsSelfRealitySeemsPartyDemocracyMediaCongressOfficialsMatureSovietRhetoricUnworthyCommentatorsConcealingUnanimitySanctimonious Book:At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches Source: At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches
“In a democracy the responsibility for the Government's economic policies, which so affect the economy, normally rests with the elected representative of the people: in our case, with the President and the Congress. If these two follow economic policies inimical to the general welfare, they are accountable to the people for their actions on election day. With Federal Reserve independence, however, a body of men exist who control one of the most powerful levers moving the economy and who are responsible to no one.” PeopleIfsMenTwoBodyGovernmentActionMovingPoliticsPresidentPowerfulResponsibilityCasesEconomyDemocracyEconomicPolicyResponsibleElectionIndependenceCongressWelfareLiberalismMost PowerfulRepresentativesReservesFederal ReserveElection DayEconomic PolicyLeversGeneral Welfare Author:Wright Patman
“It's abominable, and it's a disgrace to a great democracy to see what's happened in our country. The main reason for that has been the enormous infusion of high quantities of money to campaigns - governors, Congress, president and the U.S. Senate.” Has BeensCountryReasonPresidentDemocracyHappenedCongressCampaignsEnormousOur CountrySenateQuantityGovernorsDisgraceInfusion Author:Jimmy Carter
“In a democracy such as ours the leading minds seldom achieve a place of permanent influence. And the men who sit in Congress or even in the White House are usually not our leading minds. They are not the thinkers. Still less have they time for reflection.” MenMindStillsGovernmentHouseWhiteDemocracyInfluenceAchieveHe ManReflectionCongressPermanentWhite HouseThinker Book:My Several Worlds: A Personal Record Source: My Several Worlds: A Personal Record
“Secularism for the Congress is merely a slogan while for the BJP it is an article of faith. Secularism is about votebank politics for the Congress, while it is about 'India first' for the BJP.” FirstsDemocracyIndiaElectionCongressArticlesSlogansSecularismBjp Author:Narendra Modi
“It took six weeks of debate in the Senate to get the Arms Embargo Law repealed--and we face other delays during the present session because most of the Members of the Congress are thinking in terms of next Autumn's election. However, that is one of the prices that we who live in democracies have to pay. It is, however, worth paying, if all of us can avoid the type of government under which the unfortunate population of Germany and Russia must exist.” IfsThinkingGovernmentFacesLawNextTermPayDemocracyWeekArmsTypeMembersSixElectionCongressPopulationDebateRussiaGermanyAutumnSenateDictatorshipUnfortunateDelaySessionDemocracies HaveEmbargo Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt
“One faction of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government, doesn't get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election.” GovernmentPoliticalHousePoliticsLeadershipResultsMoneyPartyDemocracyPolicyTaxesConstitutionElectionCongressIdeologyBranchesFree SpeechPolitical PartiesFactionsPartisanshipBranches Of Government Author:Barack Obama
“But having made my decision as Commander-in-Chief based on what I am convinced is our national security interests, I will seek authorization for the use of force from the American people's representatives in Congress.” PeopleWorldLongMadeUseGovernmentMightForcePresidentInterestDecisionDemocracyViolenceSecurityMilitaryPolicyExampleEthicsConstitutionCongressHuman RightsConvincedChiefsForeign PolicyRootedRepresentativesNational SecurityCommandersCommander In ChiefUse Of Force Author:Barack Obama
“Power tends to corrupt. But the power in Washington resides in Congress, if it wants to use it. It can do anything-it can stop the Vietnam War. It can make its will felt, if it can ever get its act together to do anything.” IfsWantWarUseRealityTogetherPoliticsFeltCan DoLeadershipJusticeHistoryDemocracyGenerationsHuman NaturePolicyEthicsStrategyUnityCongressHuman RightsIdeologyVietnamForeign PolicyVietnam War Author:Antonin Scalia
“Popular congresses are the only means to achieve popular democracy. Any system of government other than popular congresses is undemocratic.” MeanGovernmentDemocracyAchieveCongressSystems Of Government Author:Muammar al-Gaddafi
“I think Churchill is right, the only thing to be said for democracy is that there is nothing else that's any better, and therefore he used to say, Tyranny tempered by assassination, but lots of assassination. People say, If the Congress were more representative of the people it would be better. I say the Congress is too damn representative. It's just as stupid as the people are; just as uneducated, just as dumb, just as selfish.” PeopleIfsThinkingSaidWould BeUsedDemocracyStupidCongressSelfishTyrannyDumbDamnRepresentativesAssassinationUneducated Author:Dean Acheson
“A more important antidote to American democracy is American gerontocracy. The positions of eminence and authority in Congress are allotted in accordance with length of service, regardless of quality.” ImportantQualityDemocracyPositionAuthorityCongressLengthAntidoteEminenceAmerican Democracy Author:John Kenneth Galbraith
“We're an ignorant nation right now. We're not really capable, I do not think, the majority of our people, of making the decisions that have to be made at election time and particularly in the selection of their legislatures and their Congress and the presidency, of course. I don't think we're bright enough to do the job that would preserve our democracy, our republic. I think we're in serious danger.” PeopleThinkingMadeEnoughJobsCoursesNationsDecisionDemocracyDangerSeriousRight NowCapableElectionMajorityCongressIgnorantPreservesVotingRepublicIncapablePresidencySelectionLegislaturePessimisticElectorateIgnorant PeopleAnchormanElection TimeIncapability Author:Walter Cronkite
“There is a reason why these people [from Wall Street] are putting huge amounts of money into our political system. And in my view, it is undermining American democracy and it is allowing Congress to represent wealthy campaign contributors and not the working families of this country.” PeopleCountryReasonPoliticalViewsDemocracyStreetsHugeWallAmountCongressCampaignsReason WhyWealthyAllowingPolitical SystemsUnderminingContributorsAmerican Democracy Author:Bernie Sanders
“We need some rules changes. This is an outrage that this, the oldest democracy has now, you know, ranked - when I say ranked 59th, it means that in the percentage of women, in our national parliament, our National Congress, is now ranks 59th from the top. That means 58 countries have more women than we do in percentage wise.” KnowsNeedsMeanCountryDemocracyWiseCongressParliamentPercentagesOutrageDemocracies Have Author:Eleanor Smeal
“Can any of you seriously say the Bill of Rights could get through Congress today? It wouldn't even get out of committee.” GovernmentTodayPoliticalLibertyDemocracyRightsConstitutionBillsCongressLibertarianUsaAmendmentsLibertarianismCommitteesBill Of Rights Author:F. Lee Bailey
“Just the fact that we can't pass budgets in our Congress, just the fact that we are gridlocked in our own democracy, the fact that everybody who travels can see that we're not investing in our airports, in our rail, in our infrastructure and so forth, people are noticing a United States that is not getting the job done in some ways.” PeopleWayStatesDoneFactsJobsUnitedUnited StatesDemocracyInvestingCongressBudgetsAirportsInfrastructureNoticingRail Author:John F. Kerry