--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not surprising that more and more…" description: "\"It is not surprising that more and more people are coming to the conclusion that the ballot box is no longer an instrument that will secure political s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/tony-benn-2543_ballots_it-is-not-surprising-that-more-and-more_2699012.png" --- # It is not surprising that more and more people are coming… ![“It is not surprising that more and more people are coming to the conclusion that the ballot box is no longer an instrument that will secure political solutions... They can see that the parliamentary democracy we boast of is becoming a sham.” quote by Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/tony-benn-2543_ballots_it-is-not-surprising-that-more-and-more_2699012.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/tony-benn-2543_ballots_it-is-not-surprising-that-more-and-more_2699012.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffa/tony-benn-2543_ballots_it-is-not-surprising-that-more-and-more_2699012.png) > “It is not surprising that more and more people are coming to the conclusion that the ballot box is no longer an instrument that will secure political solutions... They can see that the parliamentary democracy we boast of is becoming a sham.” [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democratic institutions are perceived as losing legitimacy, becoming mere formalities rather than effective decision‑making bodies. **In simple terms:** Parliamentary democracy is seen as a sham lacking real power. Key Takeaway Seek reforms that restore genuine democratic efficacy. Themes democracy legitimacy politics disillusionment institution Mood cynical hopeful Type political reflective When to use this quote - elections - public forums - policy debates - civic education Key Concepts political theory citizen engagement institutional reform Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens regain trust in democratic institutions? - What reforms could make parliaments more effective? A Different Perspective The claim may overlook functional aspects of parliamentary systems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballots/) [Boast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boast/) [Conclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Parliamentary democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parliamentary-democracy/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) ## Related quotes > [Parliamentary democracy is, in truth, little more than a means of securing a periodical change in the management team, which is then allowed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/parliamentary-democracy-is-in-truth-little-more-than-a-means-of/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [We know that communism is the right hypothesis. All those who abandon this hypothesis immediately resign themselves to the market economy, to parliamentary democracy-the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/we-know-that-communism-is-the-right-hypothesis-all-those-who-abandon/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [If the institutions of parliamentary democracy are worth preserving, the duty to explain them to the people they are meant to serve becomes vitally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-allen-fraser/if-the-institutions-of-parliamentary-democracy-are-worth-preserving/) [John Allen Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-allen-fraser/) > [“Do go on,' he said. 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I tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-bryce/one-of-the-most-enjoyable-things-i-do-at-government-house-and-when-i/) [Quentin Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-bryce/) > [Look, there is parliamentary democracy in most European countries, there is parliamentary democracy in Japan, there is parliamentary democracy in many countries, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/look-there-is-parliamentary-democracy-in-most-european-countries/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [It would appear that the traditional parliamentary democracies can offer no fundamental opposition to that automatism of technological civilization and the industrial-consumer society, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/it-would-appear-that-the-traditional-parliamentary-democracies-can/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [“He can read and write, but he doesn't get what he's read. He's half-baked. The country is full of people like him, I'll tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aravind-adiga/he-can-read-and-write-but-he-doesn-t-get-what-he-s-read-he-s-half/) [Aravind Adiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aravind-adiga/) > [Referendums are a democratic instrument, but so are decisions reached in a parliamentary democracy. I advise extreme caution when it comes to referendums. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/referendums-are-a-democratic-instrument-but-so-are-decisions-reached/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [I'm a firm believer that if we could restore real parliamentary democracy, the best way to do that would be to get rid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-may/i-m-a-firm-believer-that-if-we-could-restore-real-parliamentary/) [Elizabeth May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-may/) > [A parliamentary democracy that has developed its delicate balances over hundreds of years will not give up its sovereign rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/a-parliamentary-democracy-that-has-developed-its-delicate-balances/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [No government really rooted in limited, parliamentary democracy should have the power to make its citizens fight and kill and die in a war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/no-government-really-rooted-in-limited-parliamentary-democracy-should/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) > [No matter how many troops we have in place or how long they stay, we cannot impose a parliamentary democracy there any more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/no-matter-how-many-troops-we-have-in-place-or-how-long-they-stay-we/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) ## More by Tony Benn > [Experience is the only real teacher and if you keep a diary you get three bites at educating yourself - when it happens, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/experience-is-the-only-real-teacher-and-if-you-keep-a-diary-you-get/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Someone comes every morning at nine o'clock to see if I am still alive. I do get lonely, yes, but I have the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/someone-comes-every-morning-at-nine-o-clock-to-see-if-i-am-still/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Middle class Labour leaders are recaptured by the establishment when they die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/middle-class-labour-leaders-are-recaptured-by-the-establishment-when/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Change from below, the formulation of demands from the populace to end unacceptable injustice, supported by direct action, has played a far larger part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/change-from-below-the-formulation-of-demands-from-the-populace-to-end/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [People would do well to ask themselves how many of their ambitions and aspirations derive from the type of economic system they inhabit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/people-would-do-well-to-ask-themselves-how-many-of-their-ambitions/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Most things in life are moments of pleasure and a lifetime of embarrassment; photography is a moment of embarrassment and a lifetime of pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/most-things-in-life-are-moments-of-pleasure-and-a-lifetime-of/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [You have to try to build support around causes. It is uniting to campaign on a single issue, and it is never just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/you-have-to-try-to-build-support-around-causes-it-is-uniting-to/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Normally, people give up parliament because they want to do more business or spend more time with family. My wife said 'why don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/normally-people-give-up-parliament-because-they-want-to-do-more/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Food movement organic food stores supplies health food products and facilitate with instrumental support in organic agriculture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/food-movement-organic-food-stores-supplies-health-food-products-and/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [We are not just here to manage capitalism but to change society and to define its finer values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/we-are-not-just-here-to-manage-capitalism-but-to-change-society-and/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [I think there are two ways in which people are controlled - first of all frighten people and secondly demoralize them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/i-think-there-are-two-ways-in-which-people-are-controlled-first-of/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [People in debt become hopeless and hopeless people don’t vote. They always say that that everyone should vote but I think that if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/people-in-debt-become-hopeless-and-hopeless-people-don-t-vote-they/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Workers are not going to be fobbed off with a few shares...or by a carbon copy of the German system of co-determination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/workers-are-not-going-to-be-fobbed-off-with-a-few-shares-or-by-a/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [No medieval monarch in the whole of British history ever had such power as every modern British Prime Minister has in his or her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/no-medieval-monarch-in-the-whole-of-british-history-ever-had-such/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [Having served in eleven Parliaments, it would be difficult to describe this as a maiden speech. It would be like Elizabeth Taylor appearing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/having-served-in-eleven-parliaments-it-would-be-difficult-to-describe/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) [Explore all 162 Tony Benn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) ## More Ballots quotes > [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [Think about it: we went into slavery pagans; we came out Christians. We went into slavery pieces of property; we came out American citizens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/think-about-it-we-went-into-slavery-pagans-we-came-out-christians-we/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [If you don't know, your labor unions and community organizations, there's somebody you can ask to guide you. A lot of people, especially in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolores-huerta/if-you-don-t-know-your-labor-unions-and-community-organizations-there/) [Dolores Huerta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolores-huerta/) > [Models: I'm not voting for you for any stupid magazine list! 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It's mainly people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/barack-obama-thinks-he-s-universally-loved-and-adored-because-of-that/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Exxon, Coca-Cola, BHP Billiton and News Corporation have much more say in organising the global agenda than the planet's 5 billion mature-age voters without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-brown/exxon-coca-cola-bhp-billiton-and-news-corporation-have-much-more-say/) [Bob Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-brown/) > [Unless they can pass the same test that immigrants must pass to become citizens, people shouldnt be allowed to vote. The idea that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-reese/unless-they-can-pass-the-same-test-that-immigrants-must-pass-to/) [Charley Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-reese/) > [It’ll be the ballot or it’ll be the bullet. It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death. 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