--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democracy cannot succeed unless those who…" description: "\"Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express theirchoice are prepared to choosewisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea0/franklin-d-roosevelt-1882-1945_democracy_democracy-cannot-succeed-unless-those-wh_2083031.jpg" --- # Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express… ![“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express theirchoice are prepared to choosewisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” quote by Franklin D Roosevelt (1882â1945](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea0/franklin-d-roosevelt-1882-1945_democracy_democracy-cannot-succeed-unless-those-wh_2083031.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea0/franklin-d-roosevelt-1882-1945_democracy_democracy-cannot-succeed-unless-those-wh_2083031.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea0/franklin-d-roosevelt-1882-1945_democracy_democracy-cannot-succeed-unless-those-wh_2083031.jpg) > “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express theirchoice are prepared to choosewisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” Franklin D Roosevelt (1882â1945 This quote is also attributed to [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) in other sources. Attributions for famous quotes are often disputed. ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy thrives when educated citizens make wise choices. **In simple terms:** Education protects democracy. Key Takeaway Prioritize civic education. Themes Democracy Education Choice Safeguard Wisdom Mood Optimistic Serious Type Democracy:1 Education:1 Things happen for a reason:0 Safeguard Democracy:1 Democracy Succeed:0 Democracy Education:1 Theirchoice Prepared:0 When to use this quote - School curricula - Public forums - Voting initiatives Key Concepts Political theory Civic engagement Sociology Ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we improve civic knowledge? - What defines a wise choice? A Different Perspective Education alone may not ensure wisdom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Things happen for a reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen-for-a-reason/) ## Related quotes > [Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/democracy-cannot-succeed-unless-those-who-express-their-choice-are/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The real safeguard of democracy is education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-real-safeguard-of-democracy-is-education/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Americans of all political backgrounds must work together to safeguard our democracy and those of our allies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-suozzi/americans-of-all-political-backgrounds-must-work-together-to/) [Tom Suozzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-suozzi/) > [A democracy can't succeed without people's participation. 'MyGov' empowers the people of India to contribute towards Surajya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/a-democracy-can-t-succeed-without-people-s-participation-mygov/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [I believe democracy will succeed in Tunisia, but I also believe that it will succeed in the other Arab Spring countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashid-al-ghannushi/i-believe-democracy-will-succeed-in-tunisia-but-i-also-believe-that/) [Rashid al-Ghannushi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashid-al-ghannushi/) > [To safeguard democracy the people must have a keen sense of independence, self-respect, and their oneness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/to-safeguard-democracy-the-people-must-have-a-keen-sense-of-2/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [You can't have a democracy with an armed political party willing to bomb its neighbor without the consent of its government or, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/you-can-t-have-a-democracy-with-an-armed-political-party-willing-to/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Voters must have faith in the electoral process for our democracy to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blanche-lincoln/voters-must-have-faith-in-the-electoral-process-for-our-democracy-to/) [Blanche Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blanche-lincoln/) > [“To safeguard democracy the people must have a keen sense of independence, self-respect and their oneness, and should insist upon choosing as their representatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/to-safeguard-democracy-the-people-must-have-a-keen-sense-of/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It is particularly important to note that, in a democracy, education has never been concerned only with supplying the needs of the economy or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-weiner/it-is-particularly-important-to-note-that-in-a-democracy-education/) Gaby Weiner > [The ultimate victory of tomorrow is democracy, and through democracy with education, for no people in all the world can be kept eternally ignorant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-ultimate-victory-of-tomorrow-is-democracy-and-through-democracy/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [We Americans have the great gifts of freedom and democracy, but it has been our education system that has fulfilled the promise of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-rogers/we-americans-have-the-great-gifts-of-freedom-and-democracy-but-it-has/) [James E. Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-rogers/) > [ The devotion of democracy to education is a familiar fact. . . . \[A\] government resting upon popular suffrage cannot be successful unless those… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-devotion-of-democracy-to-education-is-a-familiar-fact-a/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [“The lesson for progressive education is that it requires in an urgent degree, a degree more pressing than was incumbent upon former innovators, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-lesson-for-progressive-education-is-that-it-requires-in-an-urgent/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The devotion of democracy to education is a familiar fact. The superficial explanation is that a government resting upon popular suffrage cannot be successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-devotion-of-democracy-to-education-is-a-familiar-fact-the/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. 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. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express theirchoice are prepared to choosewisely. 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