"American democracy must be a failure because it places the supreme authority in the hands of the poorest and most ignorant part of the society"
- Thomas Babington
About this Quote
This quote by Thomas Babington indicates that American democracy is doomed to stop working due to the fact that it entrusts the power of decision-making to the least informed and least rich members of society. This declaration is a reflection of the elitist mindset of the time, which held that just those with wealth and education can making noise choices. Babington's quote implies that the choices made by the lower classes are not as informed or sensible as those made by the upper classes, and thus American democracy is destined stop working.
However, this quote does not take into consideration the fact that the lower classes are often the most impacted by the decisions made by the federal government, and hence have a beneficial interest in making the very best choices possible. Moreover, the lower classes are frequently more in tune with the needs of the people, and thus may be better geared up to make decisions that benefit the majority of the population.
Ultimately, Babington's quote is a reflection of the elitist mindset of the time, and does not take into consideration the potential benefits of entrusting decision-making to the lower classes. American democracy has shown to be a success, and the decisions made by the lower classes have typically been beneficial to most of the population.
"Having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting my time to fasting and prayer"