7+ Best Government Quotes in English

The seed of revolution is repression.

- Woodrow Wilson -

The definition of revolution is the change of a policy or government by the people governed(dictionary). The definition of repression is to keep something or someone from doing something. With that being said "the seed of revolution is repression" means the start of a new policy that will keep the people from doing what they want.

Democracy is not so much a form of government as a set of principles.

- Woodrow Wilson -

One theory holds that democracy requires three fundamental principles: upward control (sovereignty residing at the lowest levels of authority), political equality, and social norms by which individuals and institutions only consider acceptable acts that reflect the first two principles of upward control and political equality.

Beauty is a short-lived tyranny.

- Socrates -

This means beauty or power is tyranny as one has to struggle hard to preserve it. It is short-lived because as one grows, the outer beauty dwindles with wrinkling of the skin, aging of muscles, and sinking of bones. So beauty or power starts plummeting after a point of saturation.

Voting is a civic sacrament.

- Theodore Hesburgh -

Voting does make a difference. Bad politicians are sent to the government by good people who don’t vote. Voting shows that you take your role as a citizen seriously and are proud of your country. Voting is a civic sacrament.

The Fate of good men who refuse to become involved in politics is to be ruled by evil men.

- Edmund Burke -

This quote means that if you’re indifferent to public affairs or politics, you’re going to be victims to evil men in the sense that those who are good, generally have no need to amass control over others. Evil men on the contrary require control over others so that they are not held accountable for their crimes.

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.

- H. L. Mencken -

Democracy means government by discussion, but it is only effective if you can stop people talking. Democracy has endured in part due to its ability to accommodate the change from below through expansion of voting rights and greater protection of civil liberties.

A President needs political understanding to run the government, but he may be elected without it.

- Harry S. Truman -

Politics is a collective activity, involving people who accept a common membership or at least acknowledge a shared fate. The necessity of political understanding of a president is very important to running the government. But at present time, Presidents are elected without it political understanding.