Inspirational Quotes on Politics

“Democracy demands that little men should not take big ones too seriously; it dies when it is full of little men who think they are big themselves.”

“He who surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most emphatically belongs to God: himself.”

“What is especially irritating about the whole abortion debate is the way the subject has been used as a political football by those on both the right and the left of the political aisle.”

“Every major crisis that America has faced over the last several decades has been either manufactured or facilitated by policies and activities originating in Washington, D.C.”

“Politics are not the task of a Christian.”

“The true genius that conducts a state is he, who doing nothing himself, causes everything to be done; he contrives, he invents, he foresees the future; he reflects on what is past; he distributes and proportions things; he makes early preparations; he incessantly arms himself to struggle against fortune, as a swimmer against a rapid stream of water; he is attentive night and day, that he may leave nothing to chance.”

“At a time when our country is waging two wars, approval ratings for Congress are at historic lows, unemployment is at a 70-year high and financial institutions have collapsed around us, I can't imagine anyone seriously opposing a National Day of Prayer.”

“The coziness between church and state is good for the state and bad for the church.”

“America is the only country ever founded on a creed.”

“For fear of the newspapers politicians are dull, and at last they are too dull even for the newspapers.”

“And they that rule in England, in stately conclaves met, alas, alas for England they have no graves as yet.”

“Compromise used to mean that half a loaf was better than no bread. Among modern statesmen it really seems to mean that half a loaf; is better than a whole loaf.”

“Democracy means government by the uneducated, while aristocracy means government by the badly educated.”

“I've searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues of committees.”

“You can never have a revolution in order to establish a democracy. You must have a democracy in order to have a revolution.”

“Half a truth is better than no politics.”

“There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government, and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This, within certain limits, is probably true. But in governments of a popular character, and purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be, by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent it bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.”

“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

“The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure.”

“There can be no greater error than to expect, or calculate, upon real favors from nation to nation. It is an illusion which experience must cure, which a just pride ought to discard.”