--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A vital democracy requires an informed…" description: "\"A vital democracy requires an informed electorate, civil discourse, and bold thinking.\" — Jane O'Meara Sanders" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/jane-o-meara-sanders-15940_bold_a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-e_1589620.jpg" --- # A vital democracy requires an informed electorate, civil… ![“A vital democracy requires an informed electorate, civil discourse, and bold thinking.” quote by Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/jane-o-meara-sanders-15940_bold_a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-e_1589620.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/jane-o-meara-sanders-15940_bold_a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-e_1589620.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/jane-o-meara-sanders-15940_bold_a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-e_1589620.jpg) > “A vital democracy requires an informed electorate, civil discourse, and bold thinking.” [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A healthy democracy needs informed voters, respectful dialogue, and innovative ideas. **In simple terms:** Democracy needs informed voters, respectful talk, bold ideas. Key Takeaway Promote education, civility, and creativity in politics. Themes democracy education civil discourse innovation Mood hopeful determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - elections - community meetings - online forums Key Concepts civic engagement media literacy public policy Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster informed voting? - What encourages civil discourse? A Different Perspective Bold ideas may clash with entrenched interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bold/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Requires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-requires-446364/) [Electorate Civil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electorate-civil-6022113/) [Informed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/informed/) [Informed Electorate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/informed-electorate-281454/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Vital Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vital-democracy-2236150/) ## Related quotes > [Reading builds the educated and informed electorate so vital to our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-henry/reading-builds-the-educated-and-informed-electorate-so-vital-to-our/) [Brad Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-henry/) > [An informed electorate is foundational to the future of this Republic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-cawthorn/an-informed-electorate-is-foundational-to-the-future-of-this-republic/) [Madison Cawthorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-cawthorn/) > [The best defense of democracy is an informed electorate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-best-defense-of-democracy-is-an-informed-electorate/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [If we don't have an informed electorate we don't have a democracy. So I don't care how people get the information, as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lehrer/if-we-don-t-have-an-informed-electorate-we-don-t-have-a-democracy-so/) [Jim Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lehrer/) > [And when we draw lines in the sand with regard to certain basic things that are vital to our interest and to the interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/and-when-we-draw-lines-in-the-sand-with-regard-to-certain-basic/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [Freedom of the press is the staff of life, for any vital democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-willkie/freedom-of-the-press-is-the-staff-of-life-for-any-vital-democracy/) [Wendell Willkie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-willkie/) > [The country is only as strong as its journalism - that's the way democracies work. The higher the quality of the information, the better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pelley/the-country-is-only-as-strong-as-its-journalism-that-s-the-way/) [Scott Pelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pelley/) > [If you just believe in our democracy, and you want an informed electorate, public schools are in your interest, and I think our country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/if-you-just-believe-in-our-democracy-and-you-want-an-informed/) [Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/) > [Without an informed electorate, politicians will continue to use the bottom billion merely for photo opportunities, rather than promoting real transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-collier/without-an-informed-electorate-politicians-will-continue-to-use-the/) [Paul Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-collier/) > [The weakness in a model in which one assumes that the electorate gets what it needs from Bill Clinton is that our system doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hall-jamieson/the-weakness-in-a-model-in-which-one-assumes-that-the-electorate-gets/) [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hall-jamieson/) > [A properly functioning democracy depends on an informed electorate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-properly-functioning-democracy-depends-on-an-informed-electorate/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I believe in an informed electorate, and we need to teach our children to become informed enough to have opinions on world issues or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/i-believe-in-an-informed-electorate-and-we-need-to-teach-our-children/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [If you have an informed electorate, it makes great choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/if-you-have-an-informed-electorate-it-makes-great-choices/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [But, you know, I'm sorry, I think democracy requires participation. I mean, I don't want to proselytize but I do feel some sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/but-you-know-i-m-sorry-i-think-democracy-requires-participation-i/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [If Despotism failed only for want of a capable benevolent despot, what chance has Democracy, which requires a whole population of capable voters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-capable-benevolent-despot-what/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More by Jane O'Meara Sanders > [People believe in Bernie, people trust him, people respect him, they know he says what he means, he means what he says, so if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/people-believe-in-bernie-people-trust-him-people-respect-him-they/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [I think when people are having a hard time, we tend to blame ourselves and think we can do better. Bernie is giving rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/i-think-when-people-are-having-a-hard-time-we-tend-to-blame-ourselves/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [We live by the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/we-live-by-the-golden-rule-do-unto-others-as-you-would-have-them-do/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [What Trump is doing is a lot more than just talking, tweets. He is rolling back regulations, standards, destroying lives. This has to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/what-trump-is-doing-is-a-lot-more-than-just-talking-tweets-he-is/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [One person, one vote' is what democracy is supposed to be about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/one-person-one-vote-is-what-democracy-is-supposed-to-be-about/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [I tend to not worry and waste time on hypotheticals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/i-tend-to-not-worry-and-waste-time-on-hypotheticals/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [No Child Left Behind was a disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/no-child-left-behind-was-a-disaster/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [It was great growing up in Brooklyn. The neighborhood was the street. Everybody would get together after school. Somebody would sit out on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/it-was-great-growing-up-in-brooklyn-the-neighborhood-was-the-street/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [I am a voter. I have one vote, yet you're a superdelegate and count for thousands and thousands of votes. That doesn't make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/i-am-a-voter-i-have-one-vote-yet-you-re-a-superdelegate-and-count-for/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [In America, the middle class, the working class, have accepted for too long now, that they should accept less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/in-america-the-middle-class-the-working-class-have-accepted-for-too/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [Bernie doesn't own a tuxedo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/bernie-doesn-t-own-a-tuxedo/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [I've worked with Bernie before all of his other advisers have. We're best friends, and we've been colleagues, and now we're husband and wife,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/i-ve-worked-with-bernie-before-all-of-his-other-advisers-have-we-re/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [For me, the focus has to be on the individual, the worker, not on profit margins, not on stock returns, but on how do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/for-me-the-focus-has-to-be-on-the-individual-the-worker-not-on-profit/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [I think with empathy... It's more looking out at the people. And that includes the Republicans, you know the people that might be opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/i-think-with-empathy-it-s-more-looking-out-at-the-people-and-that/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [I have seen Bernie deliver for the people that need him, no matter who the people were. And always, he does what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/i-have-seen-bernie-deliver-for-the-people-that-need-him-no-matter-who/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) [Explore all 41 Jane O'Meara Sanders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) ## More Bold quotes > [Be bold enough to find the one thing that you are passionate about. It might not be what you were trained to do. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gardner/be-bold-enough-to-find-the-one-thing-that-you-are-passionate-about-it/) [Chris Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gardner/) > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [True Religion has always been about being bold and staying real, and I felt dat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sexyy-red/true-religion-has-always-been-about-being-bold-and-staying-real-and-i/) [Sexyy Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sexyy-red/) > [What I would say to filmmakers, if I may be so bold or so arrogant, is to draw inspiration from other filmmakers, but go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/what-i-would-say-to-filmmakers-if-i-may-be-so-bold-or-so-arrogant-is/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I don't know where this glamorous image and all came from. I don't find myself glamorous or bold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riya-sen/i-don-t-know-where-this-glamorous-image-and-all-came-from-i-don-t/) [Riya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riya-sen/) > [House Republican women are trailblazers in their own right, and we are focused on a bold, forward-looking agenda to restore a confident America, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/house-republican-women-are-trailblazers-in-their-own-right-and-we-are/) [Cathy McMorris Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/) > [Be bold in your caring, and be bold in your dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/be-bold-in-your-caring-and-be-bold-in-your-dreaming/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [I was brought up in a Christian home in Australia with a father who was very bold about his faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-ham/i-was-brought-up-in-a-christian-home-in-australia-with-a-father-who/) [Ken Ham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-ham/) > [“Be calm; yet assertive. Be meek; yet courageous. Be gentle; yet bold. Be kind; yet strong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-f-glassman-2/be-calm-yet-assertive-be-meek-yet-courageous-be-gentle-yet-bold-be/) [Charles F Glassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-f-glassman-2/) > [“In your darkest times, never be afraid. The Lord's presence is always with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/in-your-darkest-times-never-be-afraid-the-lord-s-presence-is-always/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Well, I am bold and very opinionated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/well-i-am-bold-and-very-opinionated/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [We need more bold fighters like Donald Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-robinson/we-need-more-bold-fighters-like-donald-trump/) [Mark Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-robinson/) > [You can do right or you can do what you are told. And the prize of the victory will belong to the bold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/you-can-do-right-or-you-can-do-what-you-are-told-and-the-prize-of-the/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [“Often in the real world, it’s not the smart who get ahead, but the bold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-kiyosaki/often-in-the-real-world-it-s-not-the-smart-who-get-ahead-but-the-bold/) [Robert T. Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-kiyosaki/) > [We need bold leadership to bring America back to its first principles of diversity inclusion and opportunity for everyone in every ZIP Code, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perez/we-need-bold-leadership-to-bring-america-back-to-its-first-principles/) [Tom Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perez/) [Browse all 680 Bold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bold/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A vital democracy requires an informed electorate, civil discourse, and bold thinking.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane O'Meara Sanders" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-electorate-civil-discourse-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bold" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-electorate-civil-discourse-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/jane-o-meara-sanders-15940_bold_a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-e_1589620.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/jane-o-meara-sanders-15940_bold_a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-e_1589620.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/jane-o-meara-sanders-15940_bold_a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-e_1589620.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A vital democracy requires an informed electorate, civil discourse, and bold thinking.” — Jane O'Meara Sanders", "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": "Jane O'Meara Sanders", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A vital democracy requires an informed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-electorate-civil-discourse-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/a-vital-democracy-requires-an-informed-electorate-civil-discourse-and/#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 } } ] } ```