--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is supposed to be a participatory…" description: "\"This is supposed to be a participatory democracy and if we're not in there participating then the people that will manipulate and exploit the system wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/george-takei-4192_democracy_this-is-supposed-to-be-a-participatory-d_573682.jpg" --- # This is supposed to be a participatory democracy and if… ![“This is supposed to be a participatory democracy and if we're not in there participating then the people that will manipulate and exploit the system will step in there.” quote by George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/george-takei-4192_democracy_this-is-supposed-to-be-a-participatory-d_573682.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/george-takei-4192_democracy_this-is-supposed-to-be-a-participatory-d_573682.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/269/george-takei-4192_democracy_this-is-supposed-to-be-a-participatory-d_573682.jpg) > “This is supposed to be a participatory democracy and if we're not in there participating then the people that will manipulate and exploit the system will step in there.” [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Participatory democracy fails when citizens disengage, allowing manipulators to seize control. **In simple terms:** If people don’t vote, bad actors take over. Key Takeaway Engage in civic duties. Themes politics citizenship manipulation Mood concerned hopeful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - elections - community meetings - activism - policy advocacy Key Concepts democratic theory social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What barriers prevent participation? - How can we protect democracy from manipulation? A Different Perspective Some manipulation is inevitable despite participation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Manipulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulation/) [Participatory democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/participatory-democracy/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Among the responsibilities of each citizen in a participatory democracy is keeping ourselves sufficiently informed so that we can participate effectively, argue our positions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-sasse/among-the-responsibilities-of-each-citizen-in-a-participatory/) [Ben Sasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-sasse/) > [I'm sometimes impatient with young people who demonstrate at my meetings and who don't want an argument, but who just want to go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/i-m-sometimes-impatient-with-young-people-who-demonstrate-at-my/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [In this world which is losing faith in so called representative democracy, there are new developments in participatory democracy. These are very interesting developments,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/in-this-world-which-is-losing-faith-in-so-called-representative/) [Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/) > [The menu of this kitchen will have more than soup; it will serve as an opportunity to explore the vast untapped power of food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kass/the-menu-of-this-kitchen-will-have-more-than-soup-it-will-serve-as-an/) Sam Kass > [In other words, the bar should be maintained at the level of a pluralistic and participatory democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/in-other-words-the-bar-should-be-maintained-at-the-level-of-a/) [Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/) > [It's horrible to think that a small cadre of people would manipulate that information. I mean, for God's sake, we've admitted that we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-schultz/it-s-horrible-to-think-that-a-small-cadre-of-people-would-manipulate/) [Dwight Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-schultz/) > [Is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of people and then walk off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/is-capitalism-really-about-the-ability-of-a-handful-of-rich-people-to/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [The idea of Curious Yellow, of surrender to a higher cause, seems to appeal to a certain small subset of humanity. These people manipulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/the-idea-of-curious-yellow-of-surrender-to-a-higher-cause-seems-to/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [There is undoubtedly a difference between people who manipulate other people and people who create things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/there-is-undoubtedly-a-difference-between-people-who-manipulate-other/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“Maybe you cannot be the CEO of a multinational corporation, but you can frighten a few people, or cause them to scurry around like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/maybe-you-cannot-be-the-ceo-of-a-multinational-corporation-but-you/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [Leaders who do not act dialogically, but insist on imposing their decisions, do not organize the people--they manipulate them. They do not liberate, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/leaders-who-do-not-act-dialogically-but-insist-on-imposing-their/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [Jury selection is strictly an emotional process. They're looking for people they can manipulate. Both sides are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wambaugh/jury-selection-is-strictly-an-emotional-process-they-re-looking-for/) [Joseph Wambaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wambaugh/) > [I'm impatient not with the House of Commons as an institution, but with the way in which it is operated. This doesn't prove I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/i-m-impatient-not-with-the-house-of-commons-as-an-institution-but/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [It is equally unreasonable to run a university as a "participatory democracy," the approach to governance that once existed in Europe. That approach in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/it-is-equally-unreasonable-to-run-a-university-as-a-participatory/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Many people are alienated by faceless bureaucracy and what they see as an erosion of participatory democracy. Consequently, there has been a revival of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-prochaska/many-people-are-alienated-by-faceless-bureaucracy-and-what-they-see/) Frank Prochaska ## More by George Takei > [“Sharing is an act of trust, for ridicule is an ever-present risk on the Internet today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/sharing-is-an-act-of-trust-for-ridicule-is-an-ever-present-risk-on/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“If leadership requires a fired-up sense of purpose and imagination, it also demands a profound connection to the society to be led. Like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/if-leadership-requires-a-fired-up-sense-of-purpose-and-imagination-it/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“As with the douchebags of the world, calling an asshole an asshole sometimes is exactly what needs to happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/as-with-the-douchebags-of-the-world-calling-an-asshole-an-asshole/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“But as Stephen Fry has so eloquently noted, all great atrocities and genocides first begin with marginalizing then dehumanizing a specific group of people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/but-as-stephen-fry-has-so-eloquently-noted-all-great-atrocities-and/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [A man who layeth with another man must be stoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/a-man-who-layeth-with-another-man-must-be-stoned/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [Well, the whole history of Star Trek is the market demand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/well-the-whole-history-of-star-trek-is-the-market-demand/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [Today we have the economic collapse that the whole planet is suffering, but there is hope, and that's what's going to keep us moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/today-we-have-the-economic-collapse-that-the-whole-planet-is/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [You know, I grew up in two American internment camps, and at that time I was very young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/you-know-i-grew-up-in-two-american-internment-camps-and-at-that-time/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“I began to wonder, what accounts for our collective affinity for the apocalypse? 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Vote!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/do-your-duty-as-an-american-and-as-a-citizen-of-the-galaxy-vote/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [“I’ve recently suggested that Betty and I should do a TV series about two seniors living together in an unlikely pairing of a widow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/i-ve-recently-suggested-that-betty-and-i-should-do-a-tv-series-about/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) [Explore all 115 George Takei quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. 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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. 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