Assembly Quote by James Madison

Had every Athenian citizen been a Socrates, every Athenian assembly would still have been a mob.

— James Madison

“members of the Athenian assemblies were chosen by lot, a method meant to protect the system from degeneracy. Luckily, this effect has been investigated…

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

“on every occasion as at first, when their number was small, their habitations near, and the public concerns few and trifling. This will point…

— Thomas Paine

Whatever may be the judgement pronounced on the competency of the architects of the Constitution, or whatever may be the destiny of the edifice…

— James Madison

“The defect of democracy is its tendency to put mediocrity into power; and there is no way of avoiding this except by limiting office…

— Will Durant

“I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world." [As quoted in Plutarch's Of Banishment ]”

— Socrates

A representative assembly, although extremely well qualified, and absolutely necessary, as a branch of the legislative, is unfit to exercise the executive power, for…

— John Adams

“apparently there was no reason now why a man should not do as he pleased, so long as he remained within the law. A…

— Will Durant

“The best man, then, must legislate, and laws must be passed, but these laws will have no authority when they miss the mark, though…

— Aristotle

“Eloquence in public assemblies is not the surest road to fame and preferment, at least unless it be used with great caution, very rarely,…

— John Adams

The error of Socrates must be attributed to the false notion of unity from which he starts. Unity there should be, both of the…

— Aristotle

“The story is told of Socrates walking through the market in Athens, with its groaning abundance of options, and saying to himself, "Who would…

— Os Guinness