Explore Quotes by Paul Wellstone

The people of this country, not special interest big money, should be the source of all political power.

There are three critical ingredients to democratic renewal and progressive change in America: good public policy, grassroots organizing and electoral politics.

What makes community organizing especially attractive is the faith it places in the ability of the poor to make decisions for themselves.

We can and must move U.S. politics forward by means of committed participation.

Why don't we call on the credit card companies to be accountable? They need to be held accountable for their predatory lending practices.

Our aims in political activism are not, and should not be, to create a perfect utopia.

Politics is not predictions and politics is not observations. Politics is what we do. Politics is what we do, politics is what we create, by what we work for, by what we hope for and what we dare to imagine.

It is the belief that extremes and excesses of inequality must be reduced so that each person is free to fully develop his or her full potential. This is why we take precious time out of our lives and give it to politics.

There is a major ingredient missing from our perception of how changes are brought about; that ingredient is power.

Politics is about the improvement of people's lives. It's about advancing the cause of peace and justice in our country and the world. Politics is about doing well for the people.

We can remake the world daily.

Above and beyond the question of how to grow the economy there is a legitimate concern about how to grow the quality of our lives.

I emphasize self-esteem, self-confidence, and dignity, not as an ideal, but as a real test of community organization. Without leadership development, community organizations do not have staying power.

Successful organizing is based on the recognition that people get organized because they, too, have a vision.

Our politics are our deepest form of expression: they mirror our past experiences and reflect our dreams and aspirations for the future.

If a teacher does not involve himself, his values, his commitments, in the course of discussion, why should the students?

When too many Americans don't vote or participate, some see apathy and despair. I see disappointment and even outrage. And I believe that out of this frustration can come hope and action.

The American polity is infected with a serious imbalance of power between elites and masses, a power which is the principal threat to our democracy.

A politics that is not sensitive to the concerns and circumstances of people's lives, a politics that does not speak to and include people, is an intellectually arrogant politics that deserves to fail.

I represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic party.

Politics isn't about big money or power games; it's about the improvement of people's lives.