John Trenchard Quotes

All histories do shew, and wise politicians do hold it necessary that, for the well-governing of every Commonweal, it behoveth man to presuppose that all men are evil, and will declare themselves so to be when occasion is offered.

Democracy is nothing more than an experiment in government, more likely to succeed in a new soil, but likely to be tried in all soils, which must stand or fall on its own merits as others have done before it. For there is no trick of perpetual motion in politics any more than in mechanics.

I look for the consensus because the consensus drives the policy into new places.

It is impossible to design a constitution that is so perfect that no one has to be good.

The democratic element has a fortunate effect in the political sphere when it is balanced by another force. We have this advantage over our neighbors, the Americans, who have extreme democracy.

Whoever desires to found a nation and give it laws must begin by assuming that all men are bad and always ready to display their evil nature.

All men are free in a state of nature.

We are hugely and sometimes willfully ignorant about the arts of politics and governing, especially about the utter necessity of compromise.

I regret that on my arrival in Mesopotamia I was too much occupied with military matters, and too ill-informed regarding the political problem….[We had] a scratch and somewhat incongruous team of administrators with the majority possessing little exact knowledge of the people they were called upon to monitor

Not all countries are ready for it [democracy].

Political rule is so natural and necessary to the human race that it cannot be withdrawn without destroying nature itself; for the nature of man is such that he is a social animal.

It is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal.

All political theories assume, of course, that most individuals are very ignorant. Those who plead for liberty differ from the rest in that they include among the ignorant themselves as well as the wisest.

Who so taketh in hand to frame any state or government ought to presuppose that all men are evil, and at occasions will show themselves so to be.

Politics [is] the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.

I think the very idea of the social contract is in disarray.

Governments arise either out of the people or over the people.

Politics is a necessary evil, or a necessary annoyance, a necessary conundrum.

We need a government, alas, because of the nature of humans.

Ultimately, political order does not generate itself.

I guess I am politically very naive.

Where there is law, and where there is government, there is security.

I will do everything I can... to make sure that Poland sticks to a development that fosters the rule of law, democracy.

Neither politics of chaos and anarchy has succeeded earlier and nor will succeed in future.

I would like to have insights into things like government, all those big ideas that you brought up that I simply don't have ideas about. I would like to be able to since so many people discuss them, but I don't want to work at them. I don't think my ambition is that strong in that direction.