--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: democracy is not simply order and…" description: "\"“democracy is not simply order and rationality displayed in voting, structured decision making, and legislating, but that it also and necessarily is co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/carl-disalvo-66328_contentious_democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-ration_3188400.jpg" --- # democracy is not simply order and rationality displayed in… ![“democracy is not simply order and rationality displayed in voting, structured decision making, and legislating, but that it also and necessarily is contentious affect and expression.” quote by Carl DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/carl-disalvo-66328_contentious_democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-ration_3188400.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/carl-disalvo-66328_contentious_democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-ration_3188400.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/carl-disalvo-66328_contentious_democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-ration_3188400.jpg) > ““democracy is not simply order and rationality displayed in voting, structured decision making, and legislating, but that it also and necessarily is contentious affect and expression.”” [Carl DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-disalvo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy involves not only orderly processes but also inevitable conflict and emotional expression. **In simple terms:** Democracy includes conflict and feeling. Key Takeaway Embrace both order and dissent. Themes democracy conflict emotion politics Mood tensive reflective Type analytical political When to use this quote - legislative debates - public protests - media commentary - community meetings Key Concepts Deliberative theory affective politics Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance order with emotional expression? - What role does dissent play in healthy democracy? A Different Perspective May overlook the need for constructive dialogue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contentious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentious/) [Contentious Affect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentious-affect-5870960/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Simply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-simply-2803558/) [Necessarily Contentious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessarily-contentious-5870961/) [Rationality Displayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationality-displayed-5870962/) ## Related quotes > [Democracy is not simply a political system; it is a moral movement and it springs from adventurous faith in human possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/democracy-is-not-simply-a-political-system-it-is-a-moral-movement-and/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [“Democracy is not simply a license to indulge individual whims and proclivities. It is also holding oneself accountable to some reasonable degree for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/democracy-is-not-simply-a-license-to-indulge-individual-whims-and/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [Democracy is not simply a question of structures. It is a state of mind. It is an activity. And part of that activity is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-stewart/democracy-is-not-simply-a-question-of-structures-it-is-a-state-of-2/) [Rory Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-stewart/) > [I don't know how we continue to do politics in a democracy if we simply can't listen to one another, if we simply close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/i-don-t-know-how-we-continue-to-do-politics-in-a-democracy-if-we/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Democracy is not simply a question of structures. It is a state of mind. It is an activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-stewart/democracy-is-not-simply-a-question-of-structures-it-is-a-state-of/) [Rory Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-stewart/) > [The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with real freedom. Our founding fathers clearly understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-problem-is-that-democracy-is-not-freedom-democracy-is-simply/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Uses are always much broader than functions, and usually far less contentious. The word function carries overtones of purpose andpropriety, of concern with why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-smith/uses-are-always-much-broader-than-functions-and-usually-far-less/) [Frank Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-smith/) > [The use of VAR as far as we're concerned has definitely been a bit contentious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/the-use-of-var-as-far-as-we-re-concerned-has-definitely-been-a-bit/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [...in the eyes of her oldest friends and colleagues and extended family, she wasn't a painfully thin seventy-five-year-old gray haired woman dying of cancer-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-schwalbe/in-the-eyes-of-her-oldest-friends-and-colleagues-and-extended-family/) [Will Schwalbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-schwalbe/) > [I don't even like playing a contentious role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/i-don-t-even-like-playing-a-contentious-role/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [Some matters are simply contentious. Sometimes you're never going to get it right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/some-matters-are-simply-contentious-sometimes-you-re-never-going-to/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [What you saw was the people of New York having a debate, talking through these issues. It was contentious; it was emotional; but, ultimately,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-you-saw-was-the-people-of-new-york-having-a-debate-talking/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Tolerance obviously requires a non-contentious manner of relating toward one another’s differences. But tolerance does not require abandoning one’s standards or one’s opinions on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/tolerance-obviously-requires-a-non-contentious-manner-of-relating/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [The scrum and the tackle are the two really contentious areas of the game. If you get those two aspects right, most rugby matches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lewis/the-scrum-and-the-tackle-are-the-two-really-contentious-areas-of-the/) [Alan Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lewis/) > [When you take comprehensive, then we're dealing with certain issues like full citizenship ... And whatever else we disagree on, I think we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/when-you-take-comprehensive-then-we-re-dealing-with-certain-issues/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) ## More by Carl DiSalvo > [“Theories of agonism emphasize the affective aspects of political relations and accept that disagreement and confrontation are forever ongoing. For political theorist Chantal Mouffe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-disalvo/theories-of-agonism-emphasize-the-affective-aspects-of-political/) [Carl DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-disalvo/) > [“today, ludic, reflective, and pleasurable are common qualifiers and themes against which many systems are judged.17 This does not mean that the topic of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-disalvo/today-ludic-reflective-and-pleasurable-are-common-qualifiers-and/) [Carl DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-disalvo/) > [“Using visualizations to express political positions introduces a bias into the form, thereby distancing these visualizations from their social scientific counterparts that strive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-disalvo/using-visualizations-to-express-political-positions-introduces-a-bias/) [Carl DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-disalvo/) [Explore all 4 Carl DiSalvo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-disalvo/) ## More Contentious quotes > [When you take comprehensive, then we're dealing with certain issues like full citizenship ... And whatever else we disagree on, I think we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/when-you-take-comprehensive-then-we-re-dealing-with-certain-issues/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [The use of VAR as far as we're concerned has definitely been a bit contentious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/the-use-of-var-as-far-as-we-re-concerned-has-definitely-been-a-bit/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [...in the eyes of her oldest friends and colleagues and extended family, she wasn't a painfully thin seventy-five-year-old gray haired woman dying of cancer-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-schwalbe/in-the-eyes-of-her-oldest-friends-and-colleagues-and-extended-family/) [Will Schwalbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-schwalbe/) > [Tolerance obviously requires a non-contentious manner of relating toward one another’s differences. But tolerance does not require abandoning one’s standards or one’s opinions on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/tolerance-obviously-requires-a-non-contentious-manner-of-relating/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [Uses are always much broader than functions, and usually far less contentious. The word function carries overtones of purpose andpropriety, of concern with why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-smith/uses-are-always-much-broader-than-functions-and-usually-far-less/) [Frank Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-smith/) > [The scrum and the tackle are the two really contentious areas of the game. If you get those two aspects right, most rugby matches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lewis/the-scrum-and-the-tackle-are-the-two-really-contentious-areas-of-the/) [Alan Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lewis/) > [What you saw was the people of New York having a debate, talking through these issues. It was contentious; it was emotional; but, ultimately,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-you-saw-was-the-people-of-new-york-having-a-debate-talking/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Some matters are simply contentious. Sometimes you're never going to get it right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/some-matters-are-simply-contentious-sometimes-you-re-never-going-to/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [I don't even like playing a contentious role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/i-don-t-even-like-playing-a-contentious-role/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [This truth may be handled either sinfully or profitably; sinfully as when it is treated on only to satisfy curiosity, and to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/this-truth-may-be-handled-either-sinfully-or-profitably-sinfully-as/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [You can't assume if you do something contentious that people will be on your side. The moment violence enters the story, the story changes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/you-can-t-assume-if-you-do-something-contentious-that-people-will-be/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Disturbers are to be rebuked, the low spirited to be encouraged, the infirm to be supported, objectors confuted, the treacherous guarded against, the unskilled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/disturbers-are-to-be-rebuked-the-low-spirited-to-be-encouraged-the/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [One of the good things is the relationship between director and editor used to be more contentious. Studios used to leave directors alone more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sucsy/one-of-the-good-things-is-the-relationship-between-director-and/) [Michael Sucsy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sucsy/) > [The world of American politics is more contentious than it has ever been in my lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/the-world-of-american-politics-is-more-contentious-than-it-has-ever/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Dare to contend without being contentious. Preserve the truth without hurting people. Love and be charitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/dare-to-contend-without-being-contentious-preserve-the-truth-without/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) [Browse all 50 Contentious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“democracy is not simply order and rationality displayed in voting, structured decision making, and legislating, but that it also and necessarily is contentious affect and expression.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl DiSalvo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-disalvo/democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-rationality-displayed-in-voting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contentious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-disalvo/democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-rationality-displayed-in-voting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/carl-disalvo-66328_contentious_democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-ration_3188400.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/carl-disalvo-66328_contentious_democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-ration_3188400.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/carl-disalvo-66328_contentious_democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-ration_3188400.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“democracy is not simply order and rationality displayed in voting, structured decision making, and…” — Carl DiSalvo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Carl DiSalvo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-disalvo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“democracy is not simply order and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-disalvo/democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-rationality-displayed-in-voting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-disalvo/democracy-is-not-simply-order-and-rationality-displayed-in-voting/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```