Political Reform Quotes

• Mere political reform will not cure the manifold evils which now afflict society. There requires a social reform, a domestic reform, an individual reform.

  Samuel Smiles

  Evil, Political, Reform

  "Samuel Smiles and the Victorian Work Ethic". Book by Timothy Travers, 1987.

  5 Copy quote

  Show source

• Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations... can never effect a reform.

  Susan B. Anthony

  Strong Women, Inspiration, People

  74 Copy quote

• If people are innately saddled with certain sins and flaws, like selfishness, prejudice, sort-sightedness, and self-deception, then political reform would seem to be a waste of time.

  Steven Pinker

  Self, People, Political

  5 Copy quote

• The government in which I believe is that which is based on mere moral sanction...the real law lives in the kindness of our hearts. If our hearts are empty, no law or political reform can fill them.

  Leo Tolstoy

  Kindness, Real, Believe

  4 Copy quote

• The elections are the greatest symbol of participation and political reform.

  Mohammad Khatami

  Political, Reform, Election

  "Iranians go to polls to vote in local elections". www.cnn.com. February 26, 1999.

  10 Copy quote

  Show source

• About half my work in education is U.S. political reform around school districts and charter schools, and creating more room for entrepreneurial organizations to develop. And about half on technology, which I look at as a global platform.

  Reed Hastings

  School, Technology, Organization

  4 Copy quote

• Political reform need not go hand in hand with economic liberalization.. I hold unconventional views about this.. I do not believe if you are a libertarian, full of diverse opinions, full of competing ideas in the market place, full of sound and fury, therefore you will succeed.

  Lee Kuan Yew

  Believe, Hands, Ideas

  6 Copy quote

• Inspiring scenes of people taking the future of their countries into their own hands will ignite greater demands for good governance and political reform elsewhere in the world, including in Asia and in Africa.

  William Hague

  Country, Hands, People

  7 Copy quote

• I don't think political reform is likely to succeed. [Senators Tom] Udall and [Ron] Wyden, on the intelligence committee, have been sounding the alarm, but they are a minority.

  Edward Snowden

  Thinking, Political, Succeed

  4 Copy quote

• The extremely low respect Congress enjoys among the population indicates that the citizens understand broadly what's going on. But the lack of a realistic political reform path leads to apathy and the kind of mindless frustration that manifests itself in the Tea Party-style hatred of any and all government.

  Thomas Pogge

  Party, Frustration, Government

  Source: www.truth-out.org

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• The appalling crackdown that we witnessed in Hama and other Syrian cities on 30 and 31 July only erode the regime's legitimacy and increase resentment. In the absence of an end to the senseless violence and a genuine process of political reform, we will continue to pursue further EU sanctions.

  William Hague

  July, Cities, Political

  7 Copy quote

• One thing I have frankly decided is that when it comes to political reform we have two conservative parties in British politics. Both the Labour and Conservative parties have constantly and repeatedly failed to honour promises they have made about reforming, cleaning, modernising our clapped-out system.

  Nick Clegg

  Party, Two, Political

  "Nick Clegg takes thorny path out of the Rose Garden". Interview with Nicholas Watt, www.theguardian.com. August 28, 2012.

  10 Copy quote

  Show source

• If you have political reform in the Islamic world, the spiritual reform would follow.

  Imran Khan

  Spiritual, Islamic, Political

  8 Copy quote

• The problem with the West is that they start with political reform going towards democracy.

  Bashar al-Assad

  Political, Democracy, Reform

  17 Copy quote

• The Liberal Democrat Party and the Conservative Party come at things very differently when it comes to Europe. When it comes to political reform, we have a much greater tradition in the Liberal Democrats of social justice and fairness than the Conservatives do.

  Nick Clegg

  Party, Europe, Justice

  5 Copy quote

• The problem with the West is that they start with political reform going towards democracy. If you want to go towards democracy, the first thing is to involve the people in decision making, not to make it.

  Bashar al-Assad

  People, Decision, Political

  17 Copy quote

• Slowly but certainly the proletarian, by every political reform which secures his well-being under new rules of insurance, of State control in education, of State medicine and the rest, is developing into the slave, leaving the rich man apart and free. All industrial civilization is clearly moving towards the re-establishment of the Servile State.

  Hilaire Belloc

  Wisdom, Moving, Men

  Hilaire Belloc (2009). “Essays of a Catholic”, p.167, TAN Books

  46 Copy quote

  Show source

• I didn't decide to run for president to start a national crusade for the political reforms I believed in, or to run a campaign as if it were some grand act of patriotism. In truth, I wanted to be president because it had become my ambition to be president.

  John McCain

  Running, Ambition, Political

  John McCain, Mark Salter (2002). “Worth the Fighting For: A Memoir”, p.353, Random House

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• Seeing ongoing political reforms that have a real impact on people all over the world is extremely satisfying. But we want every person who's having a dispute with their kindergarten to feel confident about sending us material.

  Julian Assange

  Real, Impact, People

  "Inside WikiLeaks’ Leak Factory". Interview with David Kushner, www.motherjones.com. April 6, 2010.

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• Grown-up politicians talk to each other across party lines. Over the last few weeks I have had lengthy conversations with Ed Miliband, David Miliband, with Tony Blair, with Peter Mandelson... talking about Europe, talking about political reform.

  Nick Clegg

  Party, Talking, Europe

  "Nick Clegg: parents can use pension pots to help young people buy property" by Hélène Mulholland, www.theguardian.com. September 23, 2012.

  6 Copy quote

  Show source

• Ten years ago I said, you know, my goal is to be able to get food on the table. What I'm trying to say by that is trying to create a vibrant, capable and effective middle class. The quicker and stronger that we can be able to do this, the easier it is for political reform to move forward.

  Abdallah II

  Moving Forward, Class, Years

  5 Copy quote