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Democracy Quotes by Barack Obama

113 Democracy quotes by Barack Obama

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A peaceful transition of power is highlighted as a hallmark of democracy. The excerpts note that fresh perspectives can revive the system, and that democracy is hard, not always inspiring. They stress values like free speech, rule of law, and support for allies, while urging unity beyond party labels.

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Democracy is hard work.

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Elections matter and voting counts.

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The role of citizen in our democracy does not end with your vote.

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There's a utility in the democracy refreshing itself on an ongoing basis.

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That is the nature of democracy. It is hard. It is not always inspiring.

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I think that America has to stand with democracy.

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The Democrats should not waiver on our core beliefs and principles.

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It's good to get fresh legs in [the White house]. I think that it refreshes our democracy.

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No party has a monopoly on wisdom. No democracy works without compromise.

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[The Democrats] have got to do a better job of showing up.

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We reaffirm that on days like this, there are no Republicans or Democrats. We are Americans, united in concern for our fellow…

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

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I think [ unpopular presidential candidates ] indicates, at least on the Democratic side, that we've got more work to do to…

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

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We have proved that the true strength of our nation comes not from the scale of our wealth but from the power…

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[We should beware] that our democracy stays healthy. And making sure that we maintain that sense of solidarity.

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In our democracy and our civic discourse, it seems as if folks who take religion the most seriously are sometimes also those…

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You have to be involved during midterm elections, you have to care about what happens at a school board level.

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If people, whether they are conservative or liberal, left or right, are unwilling to compromise and engage in the democratic process, and…

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Elections are always a little bit funny. People start saying things and emphasizing differences. After the election, my hope is, is that…

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I did not suggest that Iran is a democracy; just the opposite. I talked about it being a repressive theocracy. What I…

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The American people and the Israeli peoples share a faith in the future and believe that democracies can shape their own destinies…

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Part of what we have to do a better job of, if our democracy is to function in a complicated diverse society…

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The good news is I think there are a lot of young people certainly who were involved in my campaigns, and I…

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That just gives sort of the democracy an opportunity to test ideas, for those who lost to catch their breath, regain energy,…

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The federal government and our democracy is not a speedboat. It's an oceanliner, as I discovered when I came into office. It…

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And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the…

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“Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land: enough! This moment, this election…

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What the American people hope - what they deserve - is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our…

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In Europe, where the terrorist threat is probably greatest at the moment, the amount of information-sharing that's been taking place, the effectiveness…

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Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns in to universal, rather than religion-specific, values... it requires that their proposals be…

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For Democrats who are feeling completely discouraged, I've been trying to remind them, everybody remembers my Boston speech in 2004. They may…

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You know, when I made a series of overtures to the Republicans, going over to meet with both Republican caucuses, you know,…

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When we don't pay close attention to the decisions made by our leaders, when we fail to educate ourselves about the major…

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I don't think the Democrats should think in narrow tactical terms about mid-term elections.

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The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.

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This is my last election. After my election, I have more flexibility.

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We are not going to be able to rebuild Afghanistan into a Jeffersonian democracy.

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I said in a forum on health care if the Republicans can come up with a system that insures more people cheaper,…

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Lincoln, they used to talk about him almost as bad as they talk about me. So democracy has never been for the…

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More by Barack Obama

So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…

The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.

As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…

Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.

What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…

Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.

All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…

The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.

That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we…

I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…

So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…

I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…

We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.

It's good to get fresh legs in [the White house]. I think that it refreshes our democracy.

Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…