As a rule, governments monitor people.

Authoritarianism is not pretending anymore to be a real alternative to democracy, but we can see many more authoritarian practices and styles basically being smuggled into democratic governments.

Democracy is the only game in town. The problem is [when] people start to believe that it is not a game worth playing.

As a rule, governments monitor people.

Transparency is not about restoring trust in institutions. Transparency is the politics of managing mistrust.

Democracy has always been in crisis: democracy is all about practicing the art of bearable dissatisfaction. In democratic societies, people often complain about their leaders and their institutions. The gap between the ideal democracy and the existing one cannot be bridged.

[It's] difficult to engage people in politics when they believe that what really matters is where they personally stand.