--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're not a democracy. It's a terrible…" description: "\"We're not a democracy. It's a terrible misunderstandin g and a slander to the idea of democracy to call us that. In reality, we're a plutocracy: a gove..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/ramsey-clark-20396_america_we-re-not-a-democracy-it-s-a-terrible-mi_141655.jpg" --- # We're not a democracy. It's a terrible misunderstandin g… ![“We're not a democracy. It's a terrible misunderstandin g and a slander to the idea of democracy to call us that. In reality, we're a plutocracy: a government by the wealthy.” quote by Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/ramsey-clark-20396_america_we-re-not-a-democracy-it-s-a-terrible-mi_141655.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/ramsey-clark-20396_america_we-re-not-a-democracy-it-s-a-terrible-mi_141655.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/499/ramsey-clark-20396_america_we-re-not-a-democracy-it-s-a-terrible-mi_141655.jpg) > “We're not a democracy. It's a terrible misunderstandin g and a slander to the idea of democracy to call us that. In reality, we're a plutocracy: a government by the wealthy.” [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The US is mischaracterized as a democracy; it functions as a plutocracy dominated by wealth. **In simple terms:** America is ruled by the wealthy, not true democracy. Key Takeaway Recognize economic power in politics. Themes politics wealth democracy critique Mood critical skeptical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - civic engagement - voting - public discourse Key Concepts plutocracy policy influence Questions to Reflect On - How does wealth affect policy? - What reforms could improve representation? A Different Perspective Complex governance includes multiple influences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-reality-1599646/) [Democracy Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-terrible-1599647/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Plutocracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plutocracy/) [Plutocracy Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plutocracy-government-1397149/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Plutocracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-plutocracy-1599645/) [Slander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slander/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Wealthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealthy/) ## Related quotes > [People live with the illusion that we have a democratic system, but it's only the outward form of one. 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Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Because it is a curious challenge for western man to distinguish between aristocracy and plutocracy, it will be his unhappy fate to struggle under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fahy/because-it-is-a-curious-challenge-for-western-man-to-distinguish/) [Tom Fahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fahy/) > [This combat between proletariat and plutocracy is, after all, itself a civil war. Two inferiorities struggle for the privilege of polluting the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/this-combat-between-proletariat-and-plutocracy-is-after-all-itself-a/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [We always come back to the same misunderstanding. The Jews because of their spirit of revolt, their exclusiveness and the Messianic tendencies which animate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-v-deponcins/we-always-come-back-to-the-same-misunderstanding-the-jews-because-of/) [Leon V. DePoncins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-v-deponcins/) > [I can't agree that what we're seeing is a matter of the American bourgeoisie confronting workers everywhere. It's more like the international plutocracy eliminating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-hertzberg/i-can-t-agree-that-what-we-re-seeing-is-a-matter-of-the-american/) [Hendrik Hertzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-hertzberg/) > [Of all forms of tyranny the least attractive and the most vulgar is the tyranny of mere wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/of-all-forms-of-tyranny-the-least-attractive-and-the-most-vulgar-is/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [If you give up on politics, you're giving up on democracy. And if you give up on democracy, you're basically saying to the moneyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/if-you-give-up-on-politics-you-re-giving-up-on-democracy-and-if-you/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Dark influences from the American past congregate among us still. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/the-christian-church-overwhelmingly-there-are-exceptions-who-choose/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Both trials are marred with injustice, both are flawed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/both-trials-are-marred-with-injustice-both-are-flawed/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Our history shows that the death penalty has been unjustly imposed, innocents have been killed by the state, effective rehabilitation has been impaired, judicial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/our-history-shows-that-the-death-penalty-has-been-unjustly-imposed/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Our first concern is the security of the lawyers because without security you can't possibly have a fair trial, if trial at all, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/our-first-concern-is-the-security-of-the-lawyers-because-without/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [There are few better measures of the concern a society has for its individual members and its own well being than the way it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/there-are-few-better-measures-of-the-concern-a-society-has-for-its/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Our emotions may cry for vengeance in the wake of a horrible crime, but we know that killing the criminal will not undo the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/our-emotions-may-cry-for-vengeance-in-the-wake-of-a-horrible-crime/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [This country of ours has committed the most serious act of aggression in its history by engaging in a war of aggression without a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/this-country-of-ours-has-committed-the-most-serious-act-of-aggression/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [It has never happened in history that a nation that has won a war has been held accountable for atrocities committed in preparing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/it-has-never-happened-in-history-that-a-nation-that-has-won-a-war-has/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) [Explore all 31 Ramsey Clark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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