---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a democracy, citizens pass judgment on…"
description: "\"In a democracy, citizens pass judgment on their government, and if they are kept in the dark about what their government is doing, they cannot be in a ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/peter-singer-1001_about_in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on_2785852.jpg"
---

#  In a democracy, citizens pass judgment on their…

![“In a democracy, citizens pass judgment on their government, and if they are kept in the dark about what their government is doing, they cannot be in a position to make well-grounded decisions.” quote by Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/peter-singer-1001_about_in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on_2785852.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/peter-singer-1001_about_in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on_2785852.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/peter-singer-1001_about_in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on_2785852.jpg)

> “In a democracy, citizens pass judgment on their government, and if they are kept in the dark about what their government is doing, they cannot be in a position to make well-grounded decisions.”

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When citizens lack information about government actions, they cannot make informed decisions, undermining democratic accountability.

**In simple terms:** Without knowledge, citizens cannot decide wisely.

Key Takeaway

Demand transparency.

Themes

democracy accountability information citizen empowerment

Mood

concerned critical

Type

political ethical

When to use this quote

- elections
- public policy debates
- media consumption
- activism

Key Concepts

political theory civic engagement

Questions to Reflect On

- How can societies ensure accurate information?
- What mechanisms protect against hidden agendas?

A Different Perspective

Even with transparency, misinformation can still mislead voters.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Cannot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cannot/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-government-3343219/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-citizens-2657742/) [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Kept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-kept-1524134/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Judgment Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment-government-3008330/) [Kept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kept/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Pass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pass/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/)

## Related quotes

> [“you do not get what is the foundation of the very liberty that we breathe, that the people are entitled to have the facts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands-2/you-do-not-get-what-is-the-foundation-of-the-very-liberty-that-we/)

[H.W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands-2/)

> [Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear - kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor - with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/our-government-has-kept-us-in-a-perpetual-state-of-fear-kept-us-in-a/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear - kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor - with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/our-government-has-kept-us-in-a-perpetual-state-of-fear-kept-us-in-a-3/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [You know well that government always kept a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/you-know-well-that-government-always-kept-a-kind-of-standing-army-of/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [We say to the British government: you have kept those sculptures for almost two centuries. You have cared for them as well as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-mercouri/we-say-to-the-british-government-you-have-kept-those-sculptures-for/)

[Melina Mercouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-mercouri/)

> [“Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear -- kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor -- with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/general-douglas-macarthur-1957/our-government-has-kept-us-in-a-perpetual-state-of-fear-kept-us-in-a-2/)

[General Douglas MacArthur 1957](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/general-douglas-macarthur-1957/)

> [When we speak of the origin of western democracy it's precisely here, in this territory that the modern definition of democracy first emerged in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/when-we-speak-of-the-origin-of-western-democracy-it-s-precisely-here/)

[Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/)

> [What we have now is democracy without citizens. No one is on the public's side. All the buyers are on the corporations' side. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/what-we-have-now-is-democracy-without-citizens-no-one-is-on-the/)

[Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/)

> [It is a fundamental principle of democracy that citizens obey the law or incur whatever penalty applies to its breaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/it-is-a-fundamental-principle-of-democracy-that-citizens-obey-the-law/)

[Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/)

> [Active people to revitalize what is really the root of democracy: citizens communicating with each other. Democracy is not just about voting, it's about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/active-people-to-revitalize-what-is-really-the-root-of-democracy/)

[Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/)

> [In a democracy, the citizens are supposed to have all the power, and the government is supposed to be the means by which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/in-a-democracy-the-citizens-are-supposed-to-have-all-the-power-and/)

[Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/)

> [This is democracy: the citizens can vote anyone to power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-shah/this-is-democracy-the-citizens-can-vote-anyone-to-power/)

[Amit Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-shah/)

> [In a well-functioning democracy, citizens have the option of voting their political masters out of office. Not so in most companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/in-a-well-functioning-democracy-citizens-have-the-option-of-voting/)

[Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/)

> [It started last year, during the summer. I went to the doctor and they found out it was kidney stones, so they had surgery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-phillips/it-started-last-year-during-the-summer-i-went-to-the-doctor-and-they/)

[Phillip Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-phillips/)

> [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/)

[Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/)

## More by Peter Singer

> [I have never really been fond of animals. I certainly wasn't an 'animal lover' when I became involved in the movement. I just came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-have-never-really-been-fond-of-animals-i-certainly-wasn-t-an-animal/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [Knowledge is generally considered a good thing; so, presumably, knowing more about how the U.S. thinks and operates around the world is also good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/knowledge-is-generally-considered-a-good-thing-so-presumably-knowing/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [The price we are willing to pay for safety cannot be infinite. It is distasteful to put a price on human life, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-price-we-are-willing-to-pay-for-safety-cannot-be-infinite-it-is/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [ Nineteen thousand children \[are\] dying every day. Does it really matter that we're not walking past them in the street? Does it really matter… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/nineteen-thousand-children-are-dying-every-day-does-it-really-matter/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [“The unchallenged assumption is that humans may use animals for their own purposes, and they may raise and kill them to satisfy their preference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-unchallenged-assumption-is-that-humans-may-use-animals-for-their/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [Beginning to reason is like stepping onto an escalator that leads upward and out of sight. Once we take the first step, the distance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/beginning-to-reason-is-like-stepping-onto-an-escalator-that-leads/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [“Population growth is not a reason against giving aid but a reason for reconsidering the kind of aid to give.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/population-growth-is-not-a-reason-against-giving-aid-but-a-reason-for/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [Well the real concept of basic needs if you cut it right down are simply the physical needs that are unavoidable for all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/well-the-real-concept-of-basic-needs-if-you-cut-it-right-down-are/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [“Dairy farmers routinely remove calves from their mothers at an early age so that the milk will be available for humans; anyone who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/dairy-farmers-routinely-remove-calves-from-their-mothers-at-an-early/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [Attempts to defend amusement parks and circuses on the grounds that they 'educate' people about animals should not be taken seriously. Such enterprises are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/attempts-to-defend-amusement-parks-and-circuses-on-the-grounds-that/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [“A consequence of this alienation of humans from their own nature is that they are also alienated from each other. Productive activity becomes ‘activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/a-consequence-of-this-alienation-of-humans-from-their-own-nature-is/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [“I argued against the view that the only obligation we have to strangers is to avoid harming them; but even if we were to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-argued-against-the-view-that-the-only-obligation-we-have-to/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [I believe that in this new world that we live in, we often have a responsibility, you know, to actually go beyond the thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-believe-that-in-this-new-world-that-we-live-in-we-often-have-a/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [It may be thought justifiable to require tests on animals of potentially life-saving drugs, but the same kinds of tests are used for products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/it-may-be-thought-justifiable-to-require-tests-on-animals-of/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

[Explore all 310 Peter Singer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

[Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In a democracy, citizens pass judgment on their government, and if they are kept in the dark about what their government is doing, they cannot be in a position to make well-grounded decisions.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Peter Singer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on-their-government-and-if-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on-their-government-and-if-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/peter-singer-1001_about_in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on_2785852.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/peter-singer-1001_about_in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on_2785852.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/peter-singer-1001_about_in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on_2785852.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In a democracy, citizens pass judgment on their government, and if they are kept in the dark about what…” — Peter Singer",
                "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": "Peter Singer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In a democracy, citizens pass judgment...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on-their-government-and-if-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/in-a-democracy-citizens-pass-judgment-on-their-government-and-if-they/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
