Constitutional Quote by Noam Chomsky
![“England shouldn't have the real freedom of vote and we shouldn't either. Because as [James Madison] put it, one of the primary goals of government was to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority, to make sure the opulent maintain their rights. The constitutional system was…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ca/noam-chomsky-42_england_england-shouldn-t-have-the-real-freedom_430659.jpg)
“England shouldn't have the real freedom of vote and we shouldn't either. Because as [James Madison] put it, one of the primary goals of government was to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority, to make sure the opulent maintain their rights. The constitutional system was structured to ensure that outcome.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on Democracy, MIT, 1975
Government structures often protect elite interests, limiting true majority rule and perpetuating inequality.
In simple terms: Power protects the wealthy.
Key Takeaway
Question whose interests are truly served.
Themes
politics
inequality
minority rights
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- voting reforms
- social movements
Key Concepts
elite theory
democratic theory
Questions to Reflect On
- Who benefits from current policies?
- How can minorities gain real influence?
A Different Perspective
Historical contexts may differ; reforms can shift power balances.
![“[James] Madison pointed out in the discussion of the constitutional debates - the constitutional convention - that democracy would be a danger. He used England of course as the model and said suppose that in England everyone had the free right to vote; the poor, the propertyless - who are the…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/069/noam-chomsky-42_constitutional-conve_james-madison-pointed-out-in-the-discuss_22456.jpg)
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
