Corruption

From "The Oxford Book of Aphorisms"

Whatever may be the general endeavor of a community to render its members equal and alike, the personal pride of individuals will always seek to rise above the line, and to form somewhere an inequality to their own advantage.

De Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1835

They say that campaign finance reform can never be totally successful- ways will always be found to 'beat the system' if human will is strong enough. Corruption is that undue influence in policy making that makes the resulting policies unfair. Political reformers must prevent corruption, and also be prepared to take action to eliminate corruption whenever it happens anyway.

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Liberty

From "The Oxford Book of Aphorisms"

Liberty is the right to do whatever the law permits.

Montesquieu, De l'esprit des lois, 1748

Politically speaking, the rule of thumb is: the less laws one is under, the more liberty he has. To measure one's liberties, one has to consider the number and weight of the laws, rules and regulations his government has imposed on him. To increase or decrease one's liberties, one must advocate for the respective decrease or increase of such laws; this applies to all levels of government, from local to international.

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The coarseness of government

From "The Oxford Book of Aphorisms"

The Government of the World is a great thing, but it is a very coarse one, too, compared with the fineness of speculative knowledge.

Marquess of Halifax, Moral thoughts and reflections, late 17th-C

Planks of political platforms are very narrow stands on major societal problems. But, there is a value in various viewpoints for healthy legislative debate. The two dominant political parties in the US government include many caucuses within them with their own platforms, but their respective national platforms are staid. Healthy democratic elections enjoy competition among more platforms- more caucuses for party primaries, and, more "parties" (major, minor and/or independent) for general election.

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