Barack Obama Quotes About Democracy

• Mandela's commitment to democracy was ratified not only by his election, but by his willingness to step down from power

  Barack Obama

  Commitment, Democracy, Steps

• I always believe that ultimately, if people are paying attention, then we get good government and good leadership. And when we get lazy, as a democracy and civically start taking shortcuts, then it results in bad government and politics.

  Barack Obama

  Believe, Government, People

• The strongest democracies flourish from frequent and lively debate, but they endure when people of every background and belief find a way to set aside smaller differences in service of a greater purpose.

  Barack Obama

  Differences, People, Democracy

  First Presidential Prime Time Press Conference, delivered 9 February 2009

• My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

  Barack Obama

  Government, Effectiveness, Creating

  "Open Government Directive: Obama Moves On Transparency Promise" by Rachel Weiner, www.huffingtonpost.com. March 18, 2010.

• It should be the power of our vote, not the size of our bank accounts, that drives our democracy

  Barack Obama

  Money, Democracy, Size

  Fifth Presidential State of the Union, delivered 28 January 2014

• Now, I swore an oath to uphold the laws on the books... Now, I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the laws on my own... Believe me, the idea of doing things on my own is very tempting. I promise you. Not just on immigration reform. But that's not how - that's not how our system works. That's not how our democracy functions. Thats not how our Constitution is written.

  Barack Obama

  Believe, Book, Law

  President Barack Obama's remarks to the National Council of La Raza, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. July 25, 2011.

• [Fall of the Berlin Wall] is a reminder that the commitment of the United States, to Europe is enduring and it's rooted in the values we share; our commitment to democracy, our commitment to rule of law, our commitment to the dignity of all people in our own countries and around the world.

  Barack Obama

  Country, Wall, Fall

  Source: time.com

• When we don't pay close attention to the decisions made by our leaders, when we fail to educate ourselves about the major issues of the day, when we choose not to make our voices and opinions heard, that's when democracy breaks down. That's when power is abused. That's when the most extreme voices in our society fill the void that we leave. That's when powerful interests and their lobbyists are most able to buy access and influence in the corridors of power - because none of us are there to speak up and stop them.

  Barack Obama

  Powerful, Voice, Issues

  "Obama Michigan Graduation Speech". www.huffingtonpost.com. May 20, 2010.

• One faction of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government, doesn't get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election.

  Barack Obama

  Leadership, Money, Party

  "Full Transcript: : President Obama’s Sept. 30 remarks on the looming government shutdown". www.washingtonpost.com. September 30, 2013.

• No party has a monopoly on wisdom. No democracy works without compromise. But when Governor Romney and his allies in Congress tell us we can somehow lower our deficit by spending trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy - well, you do the math. I refuse to go along with that. And as long as I'm President, I never will.

  Barack Obama

  Party, Math, Long

  "Transcript: President Obama's DNC Speech". abcnews.go.com. September 6, 2012.

• But the question is, do we care enough? Do we care enough to keep standing up for the country that we know is possible, even if it's hard, and even if it's politically uncomfortable? Do we care enough to sustain the passion and the pressure to make our communities safer and our country safer? Do we care enough to do everything we can to spare other families the pain that is felt here today?

  Barack Obama

  Leadership, Country, Pain

  "CNN Newsroom" with Rosa Flores, www.cnn.com. September 22, 2013.

• Part of what we have to do a better job of, if our democracy is to function in a complicated diverse society like this, is to teach our kids enough critical thinking to be able to sort out what is true and what is false, what is contestable and what is incontestable. And we seem to have trouble with that. And our political system doesn't help.

  Barack Obama

  Jobs, Kids, Thinking

  Source: www.patheos.com

• The values that we talked about, the values democracy and free speech and international norms and rule of law, respecting the ability of other countries to determine their own destiny and preserve their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Things are not something that we can set aside.

  Barack Obama

  Country, Integrity, Destiny

  Source: time.com

• When our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening, foreign entity, it ignores the fact that in our democracy, government is us

  Barack Obama

  Witty, Government, Political

  "Obama's plea for civility is exactly right" By John P. Avlon, www.cnn.com. May 4, 2010.

• Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path, and no path is perfect.

  Barack Obama

  Perfect, Democracy, Path

  First Speech Before the United Nations General Assembly (64th Session), delivered 23 September 2009, New York, NY

• Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns in to universal, rather than religion-specific, values... it requires that their proposals be subject to argument and amenable to reason. Now I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, to take one example, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.

  Barack Obama

  Religious, Teaching, Law

• We have proved that the true strength of our nation comes not from the scale of our wealth but from the power of our ideals - opportunity, democracy, liberty and hope.

  Barack Obama

  Strong, Opportunity, Democracy

• Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values.

  Barack Obama

  Religion, Democracy, Demand

  Barack Obama (2009). “Barack Obama: Speeches on the Road to the White House”

• With effort we can protect the foundation of our democracy, for which so many marched across this bridge, the right to vote.

  Barack Obama

  Bridges, Effort, Democracy

  "CNN Newsroom" with Fredricka Whitfield, www.cnn.com. March 7, 2015.

• One of the things we're going to have to discuss and debate is how are we striking this balance between the need to keep the American people safe and our concerns about privacy. Because there are some trade-offs involved. I welcome this debate, and I think it's healthy for our democracy.

  Barack Obama

  Thinking, Nsa, People

  "Around The World" with Michael Holmes, www.cnn.com. June 7, 2013.

• Get involved in an issue that you're passionate about. It almost doesn't matter what it is ... We give too much of our power away, to the professional politicians, to the lobbyists, to cynicism. And our democracy suffers as a result.

  Barack Obama

  Inspirational, Issues, Giving

• We should be more modest in our belief that we can impose democracy on a country through military force.

  Barack Obama

  Country, Military, Historical

  Barack Obama (2009). “Barack Obama: Speeches on the Road to the White House”

• This doesn't mean abandoning our values and ideals; wherever we can, it's in our interest to help foster democracy through the diplomatic and economic resources at our disposal.

  Barack Obama

  Mean, Historical, Democracy

  Barack Obama (2009). “Barack Obama: Speeches on the Road to the White House”

• The American people and the Israeli peoples share a faith in the future and believe that democracies can shape their own destinies and that opportunities should be available to all. Throughout its own extraordinary history, Israel has given life to that promise.

  Barack Obama

  Believe, Opportunity, Destiny

• Before we get too depressed about the state of our politics, let's remember our history ..... Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. What is amazing, is that despite all the conflict, our experiment in democracy has worked better than any form of government on earth

  Barack Obama

  Witty, Democracies Have, Government

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