[ Alexis de] Tocqueville said it in 1835, and it's as true today as it was then: 'Despotism may govern without faith, but liberty cannot. Religion is more needed in democratic societies than in any other.' — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
A surprise to others, but not to me, since I've watched this closely for eight years now, is how George W. Bush has internalized the founders' belief that all human beings are endowed by their Creator with a certain inherent… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
The American founding is not just about a group of people, a group of men. It is about an ideal: Both a vision and… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
Maybe the most interesting find in my research is that it is clear that Ronald Reagan, among all modern presidents, plainly rediscovered the founders. — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
“Only when people are free to worship, create, and build, only when they can decide their destiny and benefit from their own risks—only then… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
As has been reported, and is unmistakably evident to all but the most naïve, federal employees have been ordered to exploit this crisis, to… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
It is quite sad, to me, that that ideal, that vision and understanding [of American founding ], doesn't seem to be a part of… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
The presidents varied in the degree to which they cited the founders. Some, like JFK, LBJ, [Richard] Nixon, and [Bill] Clinton, cited them somewhat… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
I was a child or didn't live through those presidents prior to [Ronald] Reagan, and thus didn't realize how little attention they had paid… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
In the middle of Hillary Clinton's push for national healthcare in 1993, Bill Clinton cited Thomas Jefferson's concern for health issues as, somehow, apparently… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
If our presidents, or potential presidents, don't know this or don't articulate [an America ideal], that's a blown opportunity. The president can teach as… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
“Only in the detached from reality world of goofy Hollywood and modern academia could a mass murderer like Che Guevara be turned into something… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
Throughout American history our presidents have invoked our nation's founding fathers. This is particularly true of recent presidents. — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
Which founders have these presidents cited - and why? What did, say, President [Ronald] Reagan's view of George Washington, or President [Bill] Clinton's view… — Paul Kengor Copy Share Image
![“[ Alexis de] Tocqueville said it in 1835, and it's as true today as it was then: 'Despotism may govern without faith, but liberty cannot. Religion is more needed in democratic societies than in any other.'” quote by Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c40/paul-kengor-14302_alexis_alexis-de-tocqueville-said-it-in-1835-an_1540411.jpg)
![“It is quite sad, to me, that that ideal, that vision and understanding [of American founding ], doesn't seem to be a part of the current political season.” quote by Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a05/paul-kengor-14302_currents_it-is-quite-sad-to-me-that-that-ideal-th_399953.jpg)
![“The presidents varied in the degree to which they cited the founders. Some, like JFK, LBJ, [Richard] Nixon, and [Bill] Clinton, cited them somewhat frequently, in the range of 100 to 200 times, though, regrettably, not in a thematic or notably profound or even interesting way. Others, like Gerald…” quote by Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9e3/paul-kengor-14302_bills_the-presidents-varied-in-the-degree-to-w_424735.jpg)
![“I was a child or didn't live through those presidents prior to [Ronald] Reagan, and thus didn't realize how little attention they had paid to the founders.” quote by Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/38b/paul-kengor-14302_attention_i-was-a-child-or-didn-t-live-through-tho_602258.jpg)
![“If our presidents, or potential presidents, don't know this or don't articulate [an America ideal], that's a blown opportunity. The president can teach as well as lead.” quote by Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2c6/paul-kengor-14302_america_if-our-presidents-or-potential-president_708330.jpg)
![“Which founders have these presidents cited - and why? What did, say, President [Ronald] Reagan's view of George Washington, or President [Bill] Clinton's view of Thomas Jefferson, tell us about their view of America and where they intended to lead the country?In many cases, it told us a lot about…” quote by Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/35c/paul-kengor-14302_america_which-founders-have-these-presidents-cit_968419.jpg)