Acceptable Quote by John Sarbanes
“You can't keep a democracy going in a functional and constructive way if only 10 percent of the people you represent think your institution is functioning in an acceptable way. That's just not viable.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: U.S. Senate, 2012
Democracy fails if most citizens distrust institutions.
In simple terms: Public trust is essential.
Key Takeaway
Rebuild confidence.
Themes
democracy
trust
representation
Mood
concerned
analytical
Type
political
inspirational
When to use this quote
- elections
- policy making
- community meetings
Key Concepts
civic engagement
institutional legitimacy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can leaders earn trust?
- What reforms improve perception?
A Different Perspective
Trust rebuilding is slow.
![“In any case, open-seat presidential elections like 2008 just are different in character from incumbent reelects, and I think that's the most important thing about this election - is that once there's an incumbent running for reelection, most of the debate is about, "Has he [Barack Obama] done a…” quote by William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b0/william-kristol-9091_acceptable_in-any-case-open-seat-presidential-elect_36353.jpg)