If you want to understand your government, don't begin by reading the Constitution. (It conveys precious little of the flavor read more

If you want to understand your government, don't begin by reading the Constitution. (It conveys precious little of the flavor of today's statecraft.) Instead, read selected portions of the Washington telephone directory containing listings for all the organizations with titles beginning with the word National.

Must a government of necessity be too strong for the liberties of its people or too weak to maintain its read more

Must a government of necessity be too strong for the liberties of its people or too weak to maintain its own existence?

Our political institutions work remarkably well. They are designed to clang against each other. The noise is democracy at work.

Our political institutions work remarkably well. They are designed to clang against each other. The noise is democracy at work.

I am for Peace, for Retrenchment, and for Reform,--thirty years
ago the great watchwords of the great Liberal Party.

I am for Peace, for Retrenchment, and for Reform,--thirty years
ago the great watchwords of the great Liberal Party.

That government is best which governs least, because its people discipline themselves.

That government is best which governs least, because its people discipline themselves.

Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.

Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.

I'm tired of hearing it said that democracy doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. We are supposed to work read more

I'm tired of hearing it said that democracy doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. We are supposed to work it.

Public confidence in the integrity of the Government is indispensable to faith in democracy; and when we lose faith in read more

Public confidence in the integrity of the Government is indispensable to faith in democracy; and when we lose faith in the system, we have lost faith in everything we fight and spend for.

Must a government be too strong for the liberties of its people or too weak to maintain its own existence?

Must a government be too strong for the liberties of its people or too weak to maintain its own existence?