Anarchism is not a romantic fable but the hardheaded realization, based on five thousand years of experience, that we cannot entrust the management of our lives to kings, priests, politicians, generals, and county commissioners.
Abbey, Edward Paul

The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern.
Acton, Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg

The Remedy for poverty is not in the material resources of the truth, but in the moral resources of the poor. These, which are lulled and deadened by money-gifts, can be raised and strengthened only by personal influence, sympathy, charity. Money gifts save the poor man who gets them, but give longer life to pauperism in the country
Acton, Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg

We have too many high-sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them
Adams, Abigail Quincy Smith

Knowledge of human nature is the beginning and end of political education.
Adams, Henry Brooks

Capitalism and communism stand at opposite poles. Their essential difference is this: The communist, seeing the rich man and his fine home, says: 'No man should have so much.' The capitalist, seeing the same thing, says: 'All men should have as much'
Adams, Phelps

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other
Adams, President John Quincy

The essence of a free government consists in an effectual control of rivalries
Adams, President John Quincy

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide
Adams, President John Quincy

When people talk of the freedom of writing, speaking or thinking I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists; but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall write and speak no more
Adams, President John Quincy

It is lawful for man to possess property.… Human affairs are conducted in more orderly fashion if each man is charged with taking care of some particular thing himself, whereas there would be confusion if everyone had to look after any one thing indeterminately
Aquinas, Saint Thomas

He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.
Aristotle

Inferiors revolt in order that they may be equal, and equals that they may be superior. Such is the state of mind which creates revolutions.
Aristotle

Man is by nature a political animal.
Aristotle

In the order of nature…the state precedes the individual.
Aristotle

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side
Aristotle

The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both of the other classes
Aristotle

It is better for a city to be governed by a good man than by good laws.
Aristotle

Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Armour, Richard

Democracy means government by discussion, but it is only effective if you can stop people talking
Attlee, Clement Richard

Royalty is a government in which the attention of the nation is concentrated on one person doing interesting actions. A Republic is a government in which that attention is divided between many, who are all doing uninteresting actions. Accordingly, so long as the human heart is strong and the human reason weak, Royalty will be strong because it appeals to diffused feeling, and Republics weak because they appeal to the understanding
Bagehot, Walter

So long as we have enough people in this country willing to fight for their rights, we'll be called a democracy.
Baldwin, Roger Nash

Every political system is an accumulation of habits, customs, prejudices, and principles that have survived a long process of trial and error and of ceaseless response to changing circumstances. If the system works well on the whole, it is a lucky accident - the luckiest, indeed, that can befall a society
Banfield, Edward C

The worst thing in this world, next to anarchy, is government.
Beecher, Henry Ward

Private opinion is weak, but public opinion is almost omnipotent.
Beecher, Henry Ward