"The Government of the absolute majority instead of the Government of the people is but the Government of the strongest interests and when not efficiently checked, it is the most tyrannical and oppressive that can be devised."

Politics

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Insight & Reflection

Words carry weight, and John C. Calhoun's insight into politics is no exception. It serves as a gentle reminder that amidst the chaos of modern life, timeless wisdom still holds the power to guide our decisions and clarify our values.

About John C. Calhoun

John Caldwell Calhoun was an American statesman and political theorist who served as the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer and proponent of a strong federal government and protective tariffs. In the late 1820s, his views shifted, and he became a leading proponent of states' rights, limited government, nullification, and opposition to high tariffs, and distinguished himself as an outspoken defender of slavery in the United States. Calhoun saw Northern acceptance of those policies as a condition of the South remaining in the Union. His beliefs heavily influenced the South's secession from the Union in 1860 and 1861. Calhoun was the first of two vice presidents to resign from the position, the second being Spiro Agnew, who resigned in 1973.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the ShortQuote Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by John C. Calhoun

"The Union next to our liberties the most dear. May we all remember that it can only be preserved by respecting the rights of the States, and distributing equally the benefits and burdens of the Union."

— John C. Calhoun
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"Learn from your mistakes and build on your successes."

— John C. Calhoun
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"The interval between the decay of the old and the formation and establishment of the new constitutes a period of transition which must always necessarily be one of uncertainty, confusion, error, and wild and fierce fanaticism."

— John C. Calhoun
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"The surrender of life is nothing to sinking down into acknowledgment of inferiority."

— John C. Calhoun
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More about Politics

"As a society, I think we express our cultural mores through our politics. We're trying constantly to figure out what's OK and what's not OK. And it's hard, because our society is constantly buffeted by gale force winds of technology. Things are always changing."

— Daniel H. Wilson
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"While approximately one in every 400 children and adolescents have Type I diabetes recent Government reports indicate that one in every three children born in 2000 will suffer from obesity, which as noted is a predominant Type II precursor."

— Tim Holden
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"To leave a mark on the world, remember that a mind at peace can weather any storm."

— William Barton (writer)
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"Cliches about supporting the troops are designed to distract from failed policies, policies promoted by powerful special interests that benefit from war, anything to steer the discussion away from the real reasons the war in Iraq will not end anytime soon."

— Ron Paul
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