William Jennings Bryan Quotes

I trust the American people. They almost always get it right …

The voice of the people must be heeded.

American democracy must be a failure because it places the supreme authority in the hands of the most ignorant part of society.

The great advantage of representatives is their capacity of discussing public affairs. For this, the people collectively are extremely unfit, which is one of the chief inconveniences of a democracy.

If we could, somehow, get a vote of the people of Tennessee and have it result properly, it would be worth more to us than a battle gained. How long before we can get such a vote?

The Sovereign is no other than the vote of 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.

Decision making in a democracy depends above all on knowledge and not just the intel available to presidents and policymakers.

Voters do not decide issues. They decide who will decide issues.

The will of the people makes governments legitimate.

[Describing America:] Public opinion, which is there omnipotent, is generally right in its aims ...

If you ever doubt that the people are the boss in a democracy, run for office. Even the President is a hired hand.

The government is just the people acting together.

In a democracy, as a matter of course, every effort is made to seize upon and create publick opinion, which is, substantially, securing power.

The great postulate of our democracy is confidence in the common sense of the people and in their maturity of judgment, even on great issues—once they know the facts.

We shall determine all matters of state by public discussion, after assemblies have been convoked far and wide.

The people who own the country ought to govern it.

Are the governors such exceptionally gifted men as to enable them … to represent the masses and act in the interests of all men better than all men would be able to act for themselves?

Elections are the means we use to establish the will of the people in order to assure the rule of the people.

In this country the government responds to the people, not the other way around.

Free government is government by public opinion. Upon the soundness and integrity of public opinion depends the destiny of democracy.

Democracy is much too important to be left to public opinion.

A democratic state must feel before it can see; that is what makes it slow to act. But the people, at last, will be right.

I trust the American People more than American Institutions.

I consider biennial elections as a security that the sober, second thought of the people shall be law.