I'm tired of hearing it said that democracy doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. We are supposed to work it.

The remark rebukes a common complaint—treating democracy as a machine that should run on its own. By conceding that democracy “doesn’t work” automatically, the speaker reframes the issue: self-government is not a finished product but an ongoing civic practice requiring participation, vigilance, compromise, and responsibility. The punchline (“We are supposed to work it”) shifts blame from the system to the citizens who neglect it, implying that democratic failure is usually a failure of engagement rather than an inherent flaw. The quote’s enduring appeal lies in its insistence that democracy is labor-intensive: it demands informed voters, accountable leaders, and active public institutions.