Tom Bethell Quotes

Democracy is about non-arbitrary decisions. Democracy is about spreading decisions; it is not about destroying processes.

Democracy is not about one party dominating.

Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.

Democracy means decision by those concerned.

Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors

If we believe in a democratic system, we have to accept the will of the people.

The democratic system is premised on trust in the masses' wisdom. We believe that the collective is wiser than its parts and that, at the end of the day, it shall make the right choices and take the right decisions.

I think the advantage of democracy is that it makes us less dependent on a group of leaders.

Let the people think they govern and they will be governed.

Democracy may mean something more than a theoretically absolute popular government, but it assuredly cannot mean anything less.

Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people.

My message is that Democracy is not an alien invention. It is a way of solving problems in our society.

[Describing America:] Public opinion, which is there omnipotent, is generally right in its aims ...

In the United States, where the numerical majority have long been in full possession of collective despotism, they would probably be as unwilling to part with it as a single despot or an aristocracy.

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

The main point of democracy is to deliver positive results for the majority.

Democratic government requires the consent of the governed.

Democracy is a device that insures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.

Democracy is indispensable to socialism.

It is unfortunate that people believe that in order to democratise something you have to get politicians out of the system.

There is an idea of democracy produced by one-sided thinking.

Democracy is constructed like an edifice, freedom by freedom, right by right, until it reaches its snapping point.

All free governments are managed by the combined wisdom and folly of the people.

Voting is the foundational act that breathes life into the principle of the consent of the governed.

In history, the millions win; that is democracy.