Football strategy does not originate in a scrimmage: it is useless to expect solutions in a political campaign.
Walter LippmannRead
And the principle which distinguishes democracy from all other forms of government is that in a democracy the opposition not only is tolerated as constitutional but must be maintained because it is in fact indispensable.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Democracy requires the presence of opposition to function properly.
This quote emphasizes that a fundamental characteristic of democracy is the necessity of opposition. In a democratic system, dissent is not only allowed but is essential for the health of the society, as it fosters debate, accountability, and diverse viewpoints, which are critical for informed decision-making and progress.
Themes
DemocracyOppositionGovernmentToleranceDebateAccountability
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a discussion about the importance of free speech in democratic societies.
More from Walter Lippmann
All quotes →The simple opposition between the people and big business has disappeared because the people themselves have become so deeply involved in big business.
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The news and the truth are not the same thing.
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There is nothing so bad but it can masquerade as moral.
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The tendency of the casual mind is to pick out or stumble upon a sample which supports or defies its prejudices, and then to make it the representative of a whole class.
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The private citizen, beset by partisan appeals for the loan of his Public Opinion, will soon see, perhaps, that these appeals are not a compliment to his intelligence, but an imposition on his good nature and an insult to his sense of evidence.
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