As mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality.

 —George Washington

The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.

 —Hubert H. Humphrey

Democracy is a process where the people are free to choose the man who will get the blame.

 —Laurence J. Peter

The spirit of democracy cannot be established in the midst of terrorism, whether governmental or popular.

 —Mohandas Gandhi

The thing about democracy, beloveds, is that it is not neat, orderly, or quiet. It requires a certain relish for confusion.

—Molly Ivins

An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.                                                           —Plato

In this possibly terminal phase of human existence, democracy and freedom are more than just ideals to be valued — they may be essential to survival.

 —Noam Chomsky

The price of the democratic way of life is a growing appreciation of people’s differences, not merely as tolerable, but as the essence of a rich and rewarding human experience.

 —Jerome Nathanson

The world is weary of statesmen whom democracy has degraded into politicians.

 —Benjamin Disraeli

Democracy: In which you say what you like and do what you’re told.

 —Dave Barry

The capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.

—Reinhold Niebuhr

It’s not the voting that’s democracy. It’s the counting.

—Tom Stoppard