Men are not corrupted by the exercise of power, or debased by the habit of obedience; but by the exercise of a power which they believe to be illegitimate, and by obedience to a rule which they consider to be usurped and oppressive.

Alexis De Tocqueville
About This Quote

Though the founders of modern democracies have been hailed as heroes, their lasting legacy is a system of government that has become increasingly authoritarian. Whether it is a one-party state or a democracy, the people have ceded their sovereignty to a ruling elite. The founders, then, were right to worry that democratic governments would undermine freedom and equality.

Source: Democracy In America

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