Question

Winston Churchill, who served as Britain's prime minister, once said: "Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time and time." What do you think he meant by this?

Answer 1

Brief Translation: 

Many leaders have tried, and will try in a world of sin and sadness. No-one pretends that voting is perfect. Yes, it has been said that voting is the worst type of government except all those other types that have been tried. 

Basically he's saying that democracy (voting) is better than other ways to elect a government.

Answer 2

Winston Churchill is famous to be one of the major opposition of Hitler, one of the most famous dictators of all time.

Because of that, Winston Churchill defends democracy in these words. Democracy may not be a perfect system, but democracy is the only system that makes possible for people to be represented and have a voice at the same time that protects minorities.

In the end, Churchill defends that democracy is the best solution close to the solution that sometimes appears in the political system, that are the dictatorships.