Two Cheers for Democracy: one because it admits variety and two because it permits criticism. Two cheers are quite enough: there is no occasion to give three.

My notion of democracy is that under it the weakest should have the same opportunity as the strongest. This can never happen except through non-violence.

Bipartisan democracy presupposes the individual, whose welfare is identical with that of the community in which he lives, the absence of coherent social classes, a basic uniformity of interest throughout.

Even though counting heads is not an ideal way to govern, at least it is better than breaking them.

Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves therefore are its only safe depositories.

I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education.

Modesty and reverence are no less virtues of freemen than the democratic feeling which will submit neither to arrogance nor to servility.

Democracy is the superior form of government, because it is based on a respect for man as a reasonable being.

Self-government requires qualities of self-denial and restraint.

The grand paradox of our society is this: we magnify man's rights but we minimize his capacities.