Richard N. Haass Quotes

I think it's the height of patriotism to continue to exercise your right as a citizen and to hold your government to account. Isn't that what the very essence of democracy is about?

Democracy depends on well educated and engaged citizens.

I want people to learn what democracy means.

Democracy is more than just election day.

We are not perfect. Democracy is a messy business … Democracy depends on people getting and keeping involved … In our democracy, the government is not them; it is us.

Democracy, of course, requires strong demands from the public.

Democracy is something you have to participate in.

We believe that when there is a democratic setup, we have a greater voice.

We think that democracy can change a lot of things, but we're being fooled, because democracy is not the election. We've been taught that democracy is having elections. And it isn't. Elections are the most horrendous aspect of democracy. It's the most mundane, trivial, disappointing, dirty aspect.

And in Canada we, you know, it costs us three or $400 million to have an election. You know, it's always been my position that we shouldn't complain about that; that's the price of admission for a living in a great democracy.

Democracy belongs to those who exercise it.

We are in a democratic society. It's our job to question.

A full and fair discussion is essential to democracy.

As a citizen, you need to know how to be a part of it, how to express yourself - and not just by voting.

Democracy is something that you must learn each generation. It has to be taught.

I'm tired of hearing it said that democracy doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. We are supposed to work it.

If you can exchange information freely, isn’t that almost a definition of democracy.

This is one of the finest expressions of U. S. democracy at work.

All of us today are learning democracy. We are only now forming a political culture.

Free and open communications is the best guarantee of democracy.

One of the greatest things that we provide in our democracy is the approachability of public officials.

It is not suffrage that gives life to democracy; it is our democratic society that gives life to suffrage.

If you give up on politics, you give up on democracy … and then we are absolute plutocracy.

We live inside a democracy, and you know, public will matters in a democracy. I just hope it's informed public will, and frankly, when the decisions are made, you understand the costs.

American democracy depends on the public's ability to remain accurately informed on our state of affairs.