Jess Phillips Quotes

Our democracy is predicated on the belief that our government should be accessible by the people. We cannot allow ourselves to give in to fear or shy away from interacting with the public.

When all Americans believe that the people we elect deserve to be in power, that their conduct in office is worthy of respect, and that they can be held accountable for their decisions, our politics will finally be worthy of our great people.

Dishonesty in government is the business of every citizen. It is not enough to do your own job. There's no particular virtue in that. Democracy isn't a gift. It's a responsibility.

I feel good because I believe I have made progress in rebuilding the people's trust in their government.

The problem we have is not Labour, in however it is configured.

And in Canada we, you know, it costs us three or $400 million to have an election. You know, it's always been my position that we shouldn't complain about that; that's the price of admission for a living in a great democracy.

Public confidence in the integrity of the Government is indispensable to faith in democracy; and when we lose faith in the system, we have lost faith in everything we fight and spend for.

I want to re-establish the people's trust in the office of president.

I am a relatively new Member to this Chamber, and it is troublesome to me and I can tell Members it is getting very troublesome to my constituents when they hear this repeated consistent drum beat of a corruption of the democratic process.

We've got to trust the politicians with these decisions.

Good government is good politics.

A government of, for and by the people, requires much from the people.

In a democracy, the one thing that cannot be done is to destroy its trust, its hope, its idealism.

If we want to truly regain the public's trust, we can provide greater accountability and transparency with a simple step. Let's start by communicating to our constituents about the votes we take.

If greater openness is a key to economic success, I believe there is increasingly a need for openness in the political sphere as well.

Africa must develop a genuine culture of alternation and opposition, without which democracy in any country, including the West, cannot exist.

The basis of effective government is public confidence.

To speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it.

I didn’t understand. In a democracy, the people have to be entertained.

We are a democracy, and there is only one way to get a democracy on its feet in the matter of its individual, its social, its municipal, its State, its national conduct, and that is by keeping the public informed about what is going on.

Especially among journalists, politics is not a pursuit that's held in high esteem. We tend to be cynical about it - but I actually believe in democracy.

If you believe in democracy, than you can't trash it by being cynical about the people who do democracy: the politicians.

Our form of government depends on a mutual bond of trust between the people and their government. But people have become cynical about their government.

A government of, by, and for the people requires that people talk to people, that we can agree to disagree but do so in civility. If we let the politicians and those who report dictate our discourse, then our course will be dictated.

Vibrant political parties are vital to the health of our democracy.