Cesar Chavez Quotes

Americans need to be engaged and invested in the legislative process that affects their daily lives, otherwise we are just democracy in name only.

Democracy is something you have to participate in.

The rise of civic society is not a negation of politics, but marks an opportunity for the involvement of the people.

What's wrong is that we are not participating to make this the type of government it needs to be.

The value of government to the people it serves is in direct relationship to the interest citizens themselves display in the affairs of state.

We can and must move U.S. politics forward by means of committed participation.

Being a citizen in a democracy involves more than just voting. It means being involved for the common whole.

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 is not something we have, it's something we do.

The American Government will be what we all make of it.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. It is a difficult, hard, full-contact, participatory endeavor.

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

We cannot be mere consumers of good governance, we must be participants; we must be co-creators.

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.

My start in politics was watching my parents go to the polls on election day. It reminded me that being an active, engaged citizen and voter is critical to the success of our democracy.

The role of citizen in our democracy does not end with your vote.

Appeal must be to an informed, civically militant electorate.

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.

As for being a voice in politics, I feel whether you are famous or not, busy or not, it's incumbent upon every citizen to participate in this government in any way we can.

Some observers compare elections in some countries with sports events, where people are but spectators. Moreover, elections must not be mere interludes for pushing a lever and then retreating to passivity, for democracy demands committed participation in the daily workings of society.

And I think that every American - this is an all-hands-on-deck moment for America. And I think it is good and important that every American is informed, understands the issues and whether I agree with them or not, comes into the public forum and we hear from them.

Economic disasters or foolish wars are hardly guaranteed to bring about large-scale individual self-examination or renew the appeal of truly participatory democracy.

But, you know, I'm sorry, I think democracy requires participation. I mean, I don't want to proselytize but I do feel some sort of duty to participate in the process in some way other than just blindly getting behind a political party.

Only a knowledgeable, empowered and vocal citizenry can perform well in democracy.

Our democracy is not something to be taken for granted. You have to fight for it. You have to commit yourself to working for it - for the long haul.