--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thomas Jefferson insisted that an…" description: "\"“Thomas Jefferson insisted that an “informed citizenry” is the best protection for democracy. It is therefore extremely disconcerting that a staggering..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/bandy-x-lee-2-55693_civil-war_thomas-jefferson-insisted-that-an-inform_2435124.jpg" --- # Thomas Jefferson insisted that an “informed citizenry” is… ![“Thomas Jefferson insisted that an “informed citizenry” is the best protection for democracy. It is therefore extremely disconcerting that a staggering percentage of Americans cannot name our president during the Civil War or the country from whom we won our independence.” quote by Bandy X. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/bandy-x-lee-2-55693_civil-war_thomas-jefferson-insisted-that-an-inform_2435124.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/bandy-x-lee-2-55693_civil-war_thomas-jefferson-insisted-that-an-inform_2435124.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/bandy-x-lee-2-55693_civil-war_thomas-jefferson-insisted-that-an-inform_2435124.jpg) > ““Thomas Jefferson insisted that an “informed citizenry” is the best protection for democracy. It is therefore extremely disconcerting that a staggering percentage of Americans cannot name our president during the Civil War or the country from whom we won our independence.”” [Bandy X. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bandy-x-lee-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the paradox of valuing an informed electorate while many citizens lack basic historical knowledge, threatening democracy. **In simple terms:** Democracy suffers when citizens lack basic historical knowledge. Key Takeaway Educate citizens on history for healthy democracy. Themes Promote civic education. Mood concerned serious hopeful Type informational critical reflective When to use this quote - Political literacy - public awareness - historical knowledge Key Concepts civic knowledge democracy history education Practical Applications - Schools - media outlets - community workshops - political campaigns - voter registration drives Questions to Reflect On - What strategies effectively teach history? - How can we motivate citizens to learn? A Different Perspective Improving knowledge alone may not change engagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Informed citizenry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/informed-citizenry/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-well-informed-citizenry-is-the-best-defense-against-tyranny/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Jefferson feared that Hamilton had plans radically at odds with the Constitution. As he saw it, Hamilton wanted to warp the federal government out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-b-bernstein/jefferson-feared-that-hamilton-had-plans-radically-at-odds-with-the/) R.B. Bernstein > [We need to change our mindset and understand that the protection of our democracy is a national security issue. When any country interferes with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/we-need-to-change-our-mindset-and-understand-that-the-protection-of/) [Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/) > [There does not have to be trade-off between growth and social protection. A democracy does not mean much if it doesn't respond to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-bachelet/there-does-not-have-to-be-trade-off-between-growth-and-social/) [Michelle Bachelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-bachelet/) > [Once you put in backdoors, once you allow a government to intercept anything they want, you have to give it to other governments around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-t-chambers/once-you-put-in-backdoors-once-you-allow-a-government-to-intercept/) [John T. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-t-chambers/) > [The 'well-informed citizenry is in danger of becoming the 'well-amused audience'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/the-well-informed-citizenry-is-in-danger-of-becoming-the-well-amused/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [Public Broadcasting System an entity designed to create an informed citizenry rather than to deliver consumers to advertisers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-mitchell/public-broadcasting-system-an-entity-designed-to-create-an-informed/) [Pat Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-mitchell/) > [Since an informed citizenry is the basis for a healthy democracy, independent, non-corporate media are more crucial today than ever before](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dahr-jamail/since-an-informed-citizenry-is-the-basis-for-a-healthy-democracy/) Dahr Jamail > [Democracy cannot meaningfully function without an informed citizenry, and such a citizenry is impossible without broad public access to information about the operations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-shapiro/democracy-cannot-meaningfully-function-without-an-informed-citizenry/) [Ryan Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-shapiro/) > [Widespread public access to knowledge, like public education, is one of the pillars of our democracy, a guarantee that we can maintain a well-informed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/widespread-public-access-to-knowledge-like-public-education-is-one-of/) [Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/) > [“The present threat is not based on conflicting ideas about America's basic principles. It is based on several serious problems that stem from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/the-present-threat-is-not-based-on-conflicting-ideas-about-america-s/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [Access to legitimate information and thoughtful analysis is the lifeblood of a democracy, the basis of which people make decisions about who they vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-hefner/access-to-legitimate-information-and-thoughtful-analysis-is-the/) [Christie Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-hefner/) > [Democracy can't function without an informed citizenry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-shapiro/democracy-can-t-function-without-an-informed-citizenry/) [Ryan Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-shapiro/) > [“A Nation’s best defense is an informed citizenry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-nation-s-best-defense-is-an-informed-citizenry/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing can stop the power of an informed citizenry when it is empowered, organized, and motivated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/nothing-can-stop-the-power-of-an-informed-citizenry-when-it-is/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) ## More by Bandy X. Lee > [“Hedges, Chris. 2009. Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle. New York: Nation Books. Legaspi,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bandy-x-lee-2/hedges-chris-2009-empire-of-illusion-the-end-of-literacy-and-the/) [Bandy X. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bandy-x-lee-2/) > [“In fact, all DT’s despicable traits have been frighteningly exacerbated by his ascension to the presidency.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bandy-x-lee-2/in-fact-all-dt-s-despicable-traits-have-been-frighteningly/) [Bandy X. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bandy-x-lee-2/) > [“But as history and experience demonstrate, power-hungry narcissistic psychopaths do not look different from normal people; and if they stand out, it is often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bandy-x-lee-2/but-as-history-and-experience-demonstrate-power-hungry-narcissistic/) [Bandy X. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bandy-x-lee-2/) > [“we rely upon the voting populace to determine if a candidate’s intellectual abilities “measure up,” an inherently flawed system, as the populace has access…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bandy-x-lee-2/we-rely-upon-the-voting-populace-to-determine-if-a-candidate-s/) [Bandy X. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bandy-x-lee-2/) > [“We believe that Donald Trump is the most dangerous man in the world, a powerful leader of a powerful nation who can order missiles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bandy-x-lee-2/we-believe-that-donald-trump-is-the-most-dangerous-man-in-the-world-a/) [Bandy X. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bandy-x-lee-2/) [Explore all 6 Bandy X. Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bandy-x-lee-2/) ## More Civil war quotes > [“Time overlaps itself. 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