All free governments are managed by the combined wisdom and folly of the people.

Garfield’s remark compresses a classic democratic insight: popular government does not run on pure reason or virtue, but on the aggregate character of the citizenry—its knowledge, prejudices, passions, and practical judgment. “Combined wisdom and folly” suggests that elections and public opinion transmit both the best and worst of a people into policy and leadership. The line can be read as both a defense and a warning: free institutions are resilient because they draw on broad experience, yet they are also vulnerable to misinformation, demagoguery, and short-term impulses. Implicitly, it elevates civic education and responsibility as the means by which “wisdom” can outweigh “folly.”