James Madison Quotes

The word democracy comes from the Greek and means, literally, government by the people.

The Constitutional Convention is the only vehicle through which we can get a clear-cut and unequivocal decision of the people.

There is but one element of government, and that is THE PEOPLE. From this element spring all governments. "For a nation to be free, it is only necessary that she wills it." For a nation to be slave, it is only necessary that she wills it.

Democracy is "government of, by and for the people".

Let the people decide whom to vote for, who has more authority. And only people, only our citizens, are able to place the final emphasis, voting for this or that person or political force, or rejecting it. That's democracy.

I have great confidence in the universal value and in basic human rights and I have great confidence that referenda will eventually take root and become part of our daily lives in Taiwan.

Freedom of expression - in particular, freedom of the press - guarantees popular participation in the decisions and actions of government, and popular participation is the essence of our democracy.

All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.

I have great confidence in Taiwan's democracy. I have great confidence in the universal value and in basic human rights, and I have great confidence that referenda will eventually take root and become part of our daily lives in Taiwan.

In my view, stability only comes with a government that is elected by the people and works for the people.

Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.

A government of, by and for the people is obligated to conduct the nation's business in a manner that respects dissent.

We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well, for thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether high or low, will be tranquillized

Democracy is still upon its trial. The civic genius of our people is its only bulwark.

We're prepared to place our trust in the people to reshape the government. Our liberal friends place their trust in the government to reshape the people.

Democracy is good, provided the government can function.

Ours is a government elected by the people and it will not succumb to threats.

Through democracy we can address the basic needs of the people, involve them as participants in planning and restore the authority of the government.

We the people tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us.

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.

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.

It is singular to look round upon a country where the dreams of sages, smiled at as utopian, seem distinctly realized, a people voluntarily submitting to laws of their own imposing, with arms in their hands respecting the voice of a government which their breath created and which their breath could in a moment destroy!

In free governments the rulers are the servants, and the people their superiors and sovereigns.

In a political sense, there is one problem that currently underlies all of the others. That problem is making Government sufficiently responsive to the people. If we don't make government responsive to the people, we don't make it believable. And we must make government believable if we are to have a functioning democracy.