John Sarbanes Quotes

Decision making in a democracy depends above all on knowledge and not just the intel available to presidents and policymakers.

Democracy consists of choosing your dictators, after they've told you what you think it is you want to hear.

Canadians want to elect good people to be their voice in Ottawa.

Democracy means government by discussion, but it is only effective if you can stop people talking.

How many fools does it take to make up a public?

That a majority of people can vote against a government, and yet that government still remains in power does not raise confidence in our democracy.

The great advantage of representatives is their capacity of discussing public affairs. For this, the people collectively are extremely unfit, which is one of the chief inconveniences of a democracy.

Democracy is much too important to be left to public opinion.

Roosevelt understood that democracy requires persuasion and consent

The success of our popular government rests wholly upon the correct interpretation of the deliberate, intelligent, dependable popular will of America.

Everybody has their manifesto; let them talk their language, come to the people, and the people will decide. In a democracy, no party or candidate wins or loses. If you, the people, chose a wrong man, you lose; if you chose the right one, you win.

Democracy is finding proximate solutions to insoluble problems.

Improved turnout will give parliament and government the appearance of being more legitimate.

If an election is simply a one-day snapshot of transient mass delusions, then this is not a very noble form of government.

Democracy is the only system capable of reflecting the humanist premise of equilibrium or balance. The key to its secret is the involvement of the citizen.

However, democracy cannot be defined as the existence of parliaments and elections alone.

Power is action; the electoral principle is discussion. No political action is possible when discussion is permanently established.

I think the American people should express their preferences, and we'll accept their choice.

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

If a man went simply by what he saw, he might be tempted to affirm that the essence of democracy is melodrama.

I raise this objection to debate the process, and protect the integrity of the true will of the people.

Everybody has a say, everybody has a voice, because everyone that comes to the House had about 750,000 people they're representing. And you want those voices heard.

Senators will do what they think they need to do to represent their constituents.

A full and fair discussion is essential to democracy.

As long as we're in a democracy, I have to give what I think the majority of people will enjoy.