Zephyr Teachout Quotes

Roosevelt understood that democracy requires persuasion and consent

No men are less addicted to reverie than the citizens of a democracy.

From literature to ecology, from the escape velocity of galaxies to the greenhouse effect, from garbage disposal methods to traffic jams, everything is discussed in our world. But the democratic system, as if it were a given fact, untouchable by nature until the end of time, we don't discuss that.

You can't keep a democracy going in a functional and constructive way if only 10 percent of the people you represent think your institution is functioning in an acceptable way. That's just not viable.

To me, the real 'state of the union' is found in how Americans react to current events.

Democracy functions best when we have an active citizenry.

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

El Salvador is a democracy so it's not surprising that there are many voices to be heard here. Yet in my conversations with Salvadorans... I have heard a single voice.

The public will vote if they have something important to vote for or against.

Real political issues cannot be manufactured by the leaders of political parties. The real political issues of the day declare themselves, and come out of the depths of that deep which we call public opinion.

American politics has always had its vulgar side. Democracy has always had its vulgar side. Vulgarity is a transactional cost of democracy.

Public policies in our democracy are eventually a reflection of public opinion," so public opinion must be reshaped if we are to avoid disaster.

Citizens are refined, cultivated, and very political. I believe in the legitimacy of their participation.

Whatever your political leaning, vote. This participation is vital. I feel the same way about issues like the space program, education, the military. The more the public focuses on these things, thinks and forms opinions, I think the better we are as a democracy.

What my parents taught me was that the hallmark of a thriving democracy was an effective and respectful police force.

We need to be constantly reminded that this is a representative democracy, and we need to be in tune to what people are talking about.

Our democracy works because the parties air and debate their differences in public.

This is why universities, and civil society more generally, are so important for a democracy like ours, founded on a genuine idealism that we have a hard time holding on to. They provide a space to question whatever we are doing in the name of things we say we believe in or might believe in.

It's hard not to be political.

What I was excited about was the opportunity for punters to be part of politics. The whole idea was to allow the voices of people outside this weirdo palace of Westminster to be heard. I thought the whole social media thing might be really positive.

Courage is the lifeblood of democracy.

I like to think of myself as an active American in our politics, but I get lost sometimes watching everything.

I'm passionate about politics.

If in a democratic country nothing can be permanently achieved save through the masses of the people, it will be impossible to establish a higher political life than the people themselves crave.

I'm a citizen in a democracy. To call me an activist would be redundant. It's not a spectator sport. If we all become non-participants, it no longer works.