I am not trying, and shall never try, to impose my systems. I expound them, I explain them, and for their implementation, I wait until public opinion tell their mind.

Frédéric Bastiat
Complete Works, Volume 7, pages 351 to 354 (in French)
March 28th, 1848

This letter is in response to a voter (we are less than one month before the elections for the Constituent Assembly of 1848, to which Frédéric Bastiat was a candidate – and got elected) who wonders what are the positions of Frédéric Bastiat towards the Church. At the time, there was no separation between the church and the state, the latter even having a say in the appointment of bishops and priests! One of the reason was that the state was paying their salaries. Of course, Frédéric Bastiat was in favour of the freedom of religion and he explains his positions as well as the reasons for them in this letter.

Today’s quote is of a more universal reach and sheds light on the deep democratic conviction of Frédéric Bastiat. According to him, being elected is not sufficient to impose one’s views – they need to be supported by public opinion. We shall find such a position with Friedrich Hayek who considered absolutely necessary to win over public opinion before implementing a large scale reform. Both recognised that one can lead a horse to water but one cannot make them drink – force feeding a policy can only lead to a revolution (in the case of a totalitarian regime) or a counter reform after the following election (in the case of a democracy).