Trust

From "The Oxford Book of Aphorisms"

A man usually has no idea what is being said about him. The entire town may be slandering him, but if he has no friends he will never hear of it.

Balzac

The value of a Republican form of government, is that representatives are given a level of trust from their people to make decisions for them. This trust must be maintained through openness with the people on what the representatives are doing. And, the representatives must hear from their people with a high level of transparency. Democracy encourages a pro-active citizenry such that the trust can be maintained.

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The people and government

From "The Oxford Book of Aphorisms"

There has never been a perfect government, because men have passions; and if they did not have passions, there would be no need for government.

Voltaire, Politique et legislation: Idees republicaines, 18th-C

We have a government of, by and for the people; because of this, there will always be a terse, yes, perhaps cynical, eye on government from the people. An open democracy in a republican form of government requires a dispassionate concern for the people by the government.

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