--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We say in a democracy that good ideas…" description: "\"We say in a democracy that good ideas will drive out bad ones, so if the good ones aren't there, we're left with the bad ones\" — Barry McCaffrey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/barry-mccaffrey-32552_democracy_we-say-in-a-democracy-that-good-ideas-wi_651635.png" --- # We say in a democracy that good ideas will drive out bad… ![“We say in a democracy that good ideas will drive out bad ones, so if the good ones aren't there, we're left with the bad ones” quote by Barry McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/barry-mccaffrey-32552_democracy_we-say-in-a-democracy-that-good-ideas-wi_651635.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/barry-mccaffrey-32552_democracy_we-say-in-a-democracy-that-good-ideas-wi_651635.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b67/barry-mccaffrey-32552_democracy_we-say-in-a-democracy-that-good-ideas-wi_651635.png) > “We say in a democracy that good ideas will drive out bad ones, so if the good ones aren't there, we're left with the bad ones” [Barry McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mccaffrey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy relies on good ideas; without them, bad ideas dominate. **In simple terms:** Good ideas are essential for democracy. Key Takeaway Promote critical thinking and idea generation. Themes democracy ideas quality policy leadership Mood analytical concerned Type political philosophical When to use this quote - legislative debates - team brainstorming - education curricula Key Concepts political theory public discourse innovation Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms ensure idea quality? - How can we encourage better ideas? A Different Perspective Good ideas are not always easy to generate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Good ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-ideas/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) ## Related quotes > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [Don't think you have to be good because you're the only one left. Be as bad as you like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-downham/don-t-think-you-have-to-be-good-because-you-re-the-only-one-left-be/) [Jenny Downham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-downham/) > [The Hatton fight left a bad taste in my mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulie-malignaggi/the-hatton-fight-left-a-bad-taste-in-my-mouth/) [Paulie Malignaggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulie-malignaggi/) > [One should try to fill his or her heart with the good so that there is no space left for the bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/one-should-try-to-fill-his-or-her-heart-with-the-good-so-that-there/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Oh yes, I do think I would have done a few things differently if I knew then what I know now. I wish I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snow-tha-product/oh-yes-i-do-think-i-would-have-done-a-few-things-differently-if-i/) [Snow Tha Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snow-tha-product/) > [The people who say they're for democracy want nothing to do with democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/the-people-who-say-they-re-for-democracy-want-nothing-to-do-with/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [If the great Western experiment fails and we end up living in totalitarian war-on-terrorism states, one day someone's going to say, 'Well democracy doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/if-the-great-western-experiment-fails-and-we-end-up-living-in/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [What we say is that democracy means that you have the right to vote without intimidation and undue burdens. But if you stand in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deforest-soaries/what-we-say-is-that-democracy-means-that-you-have-the-right-to-vote/) [DeForest Soaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deforest-soaries/) > [“They say that democracy cannot be adopted; it has to be adapted to the African way of thinking. What does that mean? That the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-ballano-gonzalo/they-say-that-democracy-cannot-be-adopted-it-has-to-be-adapted-to-the/) Fernando Ballano Gonzalo > [The worst thing I can say about democracy is that it has tolerated the right hon. 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Decisions are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-judd/people-often-say-that-in-a-democracy-decisions-are-made-by-a-majority/) Walter Judd > [Did you, too, O friend, suppose democracy was only for elections, for politics, and for a party name? I say democracy is only of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/did-you-too-o-friend-suppose-democracy-was-only-for-elections-for/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Cuba is not like bourgeois democracy the ones that imposes the blockade to make Cuba change. We have direct elections. Here they put people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/cuba-is-not-like-bourgeois-democracy-the-ones-that-imposes-the/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) ## More by Barry McCaffrey > [Colombia is in a risky position. They've got a peace process that's going nowhere, and a drug production problem that's skyrocketing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mccaffrey/colombia-is-in-a-risky-position-they-ve-got-a-peace-process-that-s/) [Barry McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mccaffrey/) > [We've got a national campaign by drug legalizers, in my view, to try and use medicinal uses of drugs and legalization of hemp as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mccaffrey/we-ve-got-a-national-campaign-by-drug-legalizers-in-my-view-to-try/) [Barry McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mccaffrey/) > [Thank God we're going to try to continue and effectively defend our frontiers with the Border Patrol, with the Customs Department, with the Coast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mccaffrey/thank-god-we-re-going-to-try-to-continue-and-effectively-defend-our/) [Barry McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mccaffrey/) > [The United States and Mexico are trapped - economically, culturally, politically and because of drug crime - in the same continent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mccaffrey/the-united-states-and-mexico-are-trapped-economically-culturally/) [Barry McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mccaffrey/) > [Extremely disappointed that corruption may have reached such a level in Mexico.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mccaffrey/extremely-disappointed-that-corruption-may-have-reached-such-a-level/) [Barry McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mccaffrey/) > [We have 1.8 million Americans behind bars today at Local, State and Federal level. 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Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. 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