“In democracy, as quaintly understood, voters pick their representatives. American democracy increasingly reverses that. Legislative districts are drawn to protect incumbents who, effectively, pick their voters.” DemocracyProtectPicksUnderstoodVotersRepresentativesReverseIncumbentsAmerican Democracy Author:George Will
“The trouble with democracy is that 50 percent of the voters are below average.” DemocracyTroublePercentAverageVoters Author:Jeff Cooper
“The result of cutting [political power] up into little bits is simply that the man who can sweep the greatest number into one heap will govern the rest... In a pure democracy the ruling men will be the wirepullers and their friends; but they will no more be on an equality with the voters than soldiers of Ministers of State are on an equality with the subjects of monarchy.” MenLittlesStatesPoliticalBitsResultsNumbersDemocracyCuttingSubjectsHe ManPureLittle BitSoldierMinistersVotersRulingMonarchyPolitical Power Book:Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Source: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
“Republicans are systematically and deliberately trying to stop millions of American citizens from voting. What part of democracy are they afraid of? I call on Republicans at all levels of government, with all manner of ambition, to stop fear mongering about a phantom epidemic of election fraud. I'm calling for universal, automatic voter registration, every citizen in every state in the union.” TryingStatesGovernmentLevelsMillionsDemocracyCitizensCallingRepublicanAmbitionUniversalElectionUnionsVotingVotersFraudEpidemicsPhantomsAmerican CitizensRegistrationFear MongeringVoter Registration Author:Greg Gutfeld
“Voter suppression laws, overzealous filibuster use, you name it - the Republicans use every tactic they can to stop our democracy from actually selecting the person with the most support.” PersonsUseLawNamesSupportDemocracyRepublicanVotersTacticsSuppressionVoter SuppressionFilibusterOverzealous Author:Jennifer Granholm
“We all know that election reform takes time. That's because those who have benefited from the system are the ones who fight hardest to preserve it. So if we're going to succeed, we need an independent coalition of citizens who believe in reform, who believe that our election laws should treat every voter equally, who believe that low levels of competition and participation are not healthy for democracy. The Independence Party is helping to build that coalition and I am happy to join you in doing so.” IfsKnowsNeedsShouldBelieveHelpingLawFightingLevelsPartyDemocracyCitizensHealthySucceedLowsTreatsIndependentElectionIndependenceCompetitionHardestReformPreservesVotersTake TimeParticipationCoalitionsLow Level Author:Michael Bloomberg
“Is there any other democracy where the voters are as spoiled as they are in the United States? Especially, of course, in certain states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, where the old joke is literally true about the citizens who say they haven't yet formed an opinion about a candidate because they've only met the fellow a few times.” StatesCertainCoursesUnitedOpinionUnited StatesDemocracyHavensCitizensMetsJokesFellowsCandidatesVotersLaw EnforcementSpoiledIowaHampshireNew HampshireOld Jokes Author:Michael Kinsley
“But our perfect democracy, which neither needs nor particularly wants voters, is a rarity. It is important to remember there still exist many other forms of government in the world today, and that dozens of foreign governments still long for a democracy such as ours to be imposed on them.” WorldWantNeedsLongStillsImportantGovernmentTodayRememberFormPerfectDemocracyVotersDozenWorld TodayForms Of GovernmentRarity Author:Jon Stewart
“The Pavlovian view of women voters - plug the words in, and they will respond - sends a chill down my spine because it sounds like an adaptation of something I have written about communication between the sexes: When a woman tells a man about a problem, she doesn't want him to fix it; she just wants him to listen and let her know he understands. But there's a difference between a private conversation and a presidential election, between what we want from our leaders.” KnowsMenWantProblemSexSoundWomenDifferencesViewsLeaderDemocracyWrittenCommunicationConversationElectionPresidentialVotersAdaptationChillSpineWant HimPlugsPresidential Election Author:Deborah Tannen
“If the country is to survive as a democracy it will depend on voters who understand how our political institutions have evolved and the events that went into their creation. A nation's sense of its history is indistinguishable from its social cohesion.” IfsCountryPoliticalNationsSocialDemocracyEventsCreationDependsInstitutionsVotersCohesionPolitical Institutions Author:Alan Bullock
“Ignorant voters of the democracies are always a great threat to the progression of humanity, simply because they give their votes to the people who look like themselves!” PeopleGivingLooksHumanityDemocracyVoteThreatIgnorantVotersProgression Author:Mehmet Murat Ildan
“If you look at the early nineteenth century you see the idea that we educate children to be voters and to be participants in our popular democracy. And then at the turn of the century when more and more immigrants are coming into the schools, Americanization becomes a more explicit part of the agenda.” IfsLooksChildrenIdeasSchoolTurnsDemocracyCenturyImmigrantsAgendasVotersEducateNineteenth CenturyParticipantsExplicit Author:Dana Goldstein
“My start in politics was watching my parents go to the polls on election day. It reminded me that being an active, engaged citizen and voter is critical to the success of our democracy.” ParentDemocracyCitizensElectionCriticalActiveEngagedVotersPollsElection Day Author:Josh Earnest
“Democracy is one person, one vote and a full discussion of the issues that affect us. Oligarchy is billionaires buying elections, voter suppression and a concentrated corporate media determining what we see, hear and read.” PersonsDemocracyIssuesMediaVoteElectionCorporateDiscussionBuyingVotersBillionaireSuppressionOligarchyVoter Suppression Author:Bernie Sanders
“All the more reason we need to stand up for our democracy now. If we're going to solve the crises that are barreling down on us, we need democracy, and our democracy needs to start with an open and inclusive debate. That doesn't mean 20 candidates. There are four candidates who are on the ballot for just about every voter in America.” IfsNeedsMeanReasonAmericaDemocracyFourCrisisSolveDebateCandidatesVotersBallots Author:Jill Stein
“In an election like this one [in 2016], not only are voters dissatisfied, but where the foundations of our economy, our democracy, our ecosystem, and international war and peace are really crumbling and are really at grave risk for failing in many ways, we need desperately to have an honest public conversation about both the track record of where we've been, what are the critical problems we are facing and what it will take to solve them.” WayNeedsWarProblemEconomyDemocracyRecordsFailingRiskHonestConversationElectionFoundationInternationalTrackSolveCriticalGravesVotersEcosystemsDissatisfiedCrumblingTrack Record Author:Jill Stein
“In the United States, if 43 percent of eligible voters do not vote, then democracy is weakened.” IfsStatesUnitedUnited StatesDemocracyPercentVoteVoters Author:Barack Obama