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Among the responsibilities of each citizen in a participatory democracy is keeping ourselves sufficiently informed so that we can participate effectively, argue our positions honorably, and hopefully, forge sufficient consensus to understand each other and then to govern.
Ben Sasse
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Citizens in a democracy must stay informed to effectively engage and reach consensus.

This quote emphasizes the importance of informed citizenship in a participatory democracy. It suggests that for democracy to function successfully, individuals must educate themselves about issues, argue their viewpoints with integrity, and work towards mutual understanding in order to govern collectively.

Themes

DemocracyCitizenshipParticipationInformedConsensus

In practice

Example use cases

During a town hall meeting to discuss community issues.

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I don't think that our Founders would believe that America could long prosper if the people were not readers.
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