Question

"Democracy is a government of the people by the people and for the people" whose statement is it?
A. Rousseau
B. J. S. Mill
C. T. H. Green
D. Abraham Lincoln

Answer 1

Hint: It was said by a politician and a national leader. The person was a popular leader of the United States. It was part of a speech where the speaker spoke about the need for fair governance.

Complete answer:
Democracy is a form of government in which the people have the power and means to choose their government and legislators. It is a system where the whole of the population (at least all the eligible members) appoint the ruling government through the process of elections. It has been famously described as a ‘government of the people by the people and for the people’. Let us now see who first said the statement-

A. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a philosopher, composer and writer from Geneva. Certain aspects of the French Revolution were inspired by his thoughts. He was not the person who said the above given statement. So, this option is incorrect.
B. John Stuart Mill was a philosopher, civil servant and political economist from England. He is regarded as the most popular English philosopher of the 19th C. He did not say the statement about democracy either, so this option is incorrect.
C. Thomas Hill Green was an English philosopher, reformer and political radical. He was a leading member of the British Idealism Movement. This option is also incorrect as he did not say the given statement.
D. Abraham Lincoln was an American lawyer and statesman. He was the 16th President of the United States and had defined democracy as a ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’ in his famous Gettysburg Address. Thus, this is the correct option.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option D.

Note: Democracy is broadly classified into two types- direct and representative. Liquid democracy is a system that combines elements of these two types. Western democracy is considered to have started in city-states like Classical Athens and the Roman Republic. Abraham Lincoln was the president who had to successfully navigate the civil war in the United States of America and prevent the breaking of the union. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on 15th April 1856.