Norman Cousins Quotes

Those who govern must see how the people react to administration. Ultimately, the people are the final arbiters.

Our whole system of government is based on "We the people," but if we the people don't pay attention to what's going on, we have no right to bellyache or squawk when things go wrong.

If any form of government is capable of making a nation happy, ours I think bids fair now for producing that effect. But after all much depends upon the people who are governed.

The greater the share the people have in government, the less liberty, civil or religious, does a nation enjoy.

If we advert to the nature of republican government, we shall find that the censorial power is in the people over the government, and not in the government over the people.

We created a new democratic Croatia, ... The HDZ is the strongest party in Croatia, and it achieved this not because of us politicians but because of you, the people of Croatia.

We must settle this question now -- whether in a free government the minority have the right to break it up whenever they choose. If we fail, it will go far to prove the incapability of the people to govern themselves.

Truth is suppressed, not to protect the country from enemy agents but to protect the Government of the day against the people.

it is the people who control the Government, not the Government the people.

I go by the great republican principle, that the people will have the virtue and intelligence to select men of virtue and wisdom [to the offices of government].

The American government is a rule of the people, by the people, for the bosses.

There are three kinds of despots. There is the despot who tyrannizes over the body. There is the despot who tyrannizes over the soul. There is the despot who tyrannizes over the soul and body alike. The first is called the Prince. The second is called the Pope. The third is called the People.

Freedom exists only where the people take care of the government.

The era of big government is over, but the era of big challenge is not. We need an era of big citizenship. There are many important people at this summit, but the most important title is 'citizen.' This is our republic. Let us keep it!

A silent majority and government by the people is incompatible.

The matter of who governs Zimbabwe is a matter that is in the hands of the people of Zimbabwe. The matter of who governs the people of South Africa is in the hands of the people of South Africa.

Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness] it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government.

In our democracy officers of the government are the servants, and never the masters of the people.

I think most of [people] are not very well educated themselves to understand the Winston Churchill line - democracy is the worst of all governments until you consider all the other ones.

It is one of the evils of democratical governments, that the people, not always seeing and frequently misled, must often feel before they can act.

Any individual can contribute its own belief. And our society or even our government are made by the people. The people would have the final voice, but it requires each individual to act. If we don't act, then the result is very clear. So for too long Americans take liberty as granted. We think we are in the safe hand, the democracy and the liberty, which is not true. And it can be even getting much worse than today.

The Australian people expect the Government to govern, they don't expect it to make excuses.

The throne we honour is the people's choice.

The government is supposed to respond to the will of the people. Not dictate to the people what they are doing.

The political system of the People's Republic of China can make things easy. Decisions are made quickly and results come quickly, too. In our democracy [in India], on the other hand, such things are extremely difficult.