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American Democracy

Aneus L. McCall

Pos/110

January 16, 2011

Professor Tim Dale

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Democracy, as it is today, has experienced a metamorphosis from the original creature it

was birthed to be. As America has grown, democracy has had to adapt to support the political

climate and various cultures, ethnicities, personal preferences, and religious beliefs that are

present in today¶s society. With all of its many strengths and weaknesses, our governmental

make-up, which includes our constitution, bill of rights, civil liberties, the ³trinity´ branches of

government, and bureaucratic agencies, is designed to protect and support its citizens.

The metamorphosis experienced in our country from its original state has brought us to

America¶s current state of affairs. Quite naturally, not every decision made by our leaders has

been to the benefit of many of America¶s citizens. Our nation¶s leaders must consider the long-

term effects of decisions they make. The fruit of their decisions may never come to fruition until

long after they have left office. Therefore, it is of necessity that they make choices with fortitude

and foresight.

On the other hand, because we elect those that we feel have our best interests at heart,

there have been many decisions that have been made in order to ensure that the weakest

members of our society, the young and the elderly, are protected and supported by our

government.

Every American citizen knows (or should know) the value of democracy in our country.

As we view other nations who do not experienced a democratic system of government, we can

acknowledge that democracy affects every man, woman and child in our country. In truth, our

democratic government even affects other nations and individuals around the world.

Each individual has his or her own perspective on the subject of our democratic system of

government. It has been said that, ³Democracy is the means to select any policy maker and

government, in which the policy would then represent the citizens¶ preferences´ (Edwards,
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Wattenberg, & Lineberry, 2008, p.14). Personally, democracy is the very essence of justice and

peace for all people.

Our most basic freedoms are afforded to every U.S. citizen. Among those freedoms is the

right to free speech. As we observe the governmental systems of other countries across the

world, we recognize that freedom of speech is not a ³right´ enjoyed by some. There are those in

other countries who cannot express their opinions of government, religion, or social policies the

way we can here in America. Additionally, Americans enjoy many other freedoms that are

unique to democracy and perhaps even to our country. These include voting rights, freedom of

religion, the right to bear arms, and the right to act, so long as our actions do not infringe upon

the rights of others. (Edwards, et al. 2008).

No system of government is without its faults and failures. Because government is run by

human beings with human tendencies, governmental corruption can almost be considered the

³norm´. Our news programs and newscasters parade those who have been accused of or caught

in corruption across the hot lights of the television cameras and we, as citizens in a democratic

society, have the right to criticize and even condemn them for their malfeasance. The fact that

we can speak out against such behaviors is at the heart of our democracy. Disparagement of the

government includes reviewing the method and manner in which government officials conduct

business. The abuse and misuse of power along with moral and ethical decay are all factors that

increase the wealth and power of those in the upper echelons of our society ± permitting them to

increase their power further by political access and appointment. (Edwards, et al. 2008). This

only leads to further corruption. Some members of our society have been economically

debilitated and are not having their needs met in the current political climate. As the rich and

powerful continue in influence and control the lower class members of our society must struggle
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to remain afloat.

The members of our society commonly share civic values. The most intrinsic beliefs are

freedom and justice. Our society, being democratic in nature, utilizes a number of programs

strengthen and support our civic values. Additionally, individual citizens volunteer to aide in

specialized programs such as Boys & Girls Clubs and assisting the elderly. This goes a long way

to strengthen American civic values. As we model and teach civic values, the generation after us

is also taught to respect one another, to share, and to take responsibility for one another in a

positive, supportive way. These things produce a strong civil and political culture that can better

serve all Americans ± both collectively and individually.

For example, when community members help one another and standing up unfair

treatment, refusing to tolerate bigotry, drugs proliferating their communities, and other harmful

practices, we stimulate respect for one another and have healthier communities. What many fail

to realize is that there are, sometimes, harsh consequences and repercussions for allowing

ourselves to stray from our civic values that are imposed through the enforcement of laws and

regulations. Anti-discrimination laws uphold the basic right of freedom for all. These laws are

enforced to ensure the rights of individuals to pursue their livelihoods and to live where they

choose, regardless of their race, ethnic or cultural background, gender or their sexual or religious

preferences.

Our world has also experienced a metamorphosis in both technological and economic

ways that threaten the purposes and accomplishments of those who were instrumental in

founding our country. The Constitution, the document that is at the center of our governmental

structure, continues to be modified, or ³amended´ to meet the current political climate of the

times. During the last 50 years of the 20th century, the the gap between the rich and poor in
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American society had begun to narrow. However, since the turn of the century, it has begun to

widen. This threatens our social stability. Many people like to say that America is a place of

equality and opportunity. While this is true, there is still much disparity and inequality present in

American today. The most basic element of our democratic process that should be its greatest

strength is possibly our greatest weakness. The disenfranchisement of the weaker members of

our society is a major issue in our nation. Civil rights and religious leaders, along with politicians

constantly voice their concerns to ensure that all Americans receive fair treatment ± such as

access to affordable health care.

The government has a duty to distribute resources in a way that is equitable to every

citizen. However, in recent years, a new type of inequality has silently crept in on us. It is the

way in which government shows bias to one group of citizens over another. These economic

disparities become overt causes of frustration and friction between the haves and have-nots.

Because the rich are in the minority, those that are not rich can relate specifically to the disparate

distribution of resources, education and income. The members of our society who have been

marginalized do not have much of a voice in government and, therefore, can expect to continue

to receive less in terms of services, resources, and education.

The Bill of Rights is the foundation of all our rights as American citizens. The Bill of

Rights protects us from congress imposing any law which would negatively affect our rights to

practice our own religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom of press, our freedom of

assembly, and our right to petition the government. In order to ensure democracy, it is essential

that civil liberties be protected and safeguarded. Freedoms are challenged in ways that have little

to do with the intention stated by the government when they enact new laws, such as the Patriot

Act, which allows monitoring of private citizens internet use. The government spying on U.S.
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citizens has also become acceptable under current law. Quite naturally, this is an unacceptable

practice. Technically, this constitutes unreasonable search. Accordingly, based on the

constitution, this should never have been made law. In recent months, our news reports have

been discussing the new screenings found at airports across the country. There are many who

have voiced their concerns about how invasive these screenings are ± and the alternatives are

worse.

There are a wide variety of ways in which it is up to all of us to strengthen our

communities by upholding civic values in our lives. All of the rights that we stifle will continue

to affect American citizens in their daily lives. It is up to us as citizens to take responsibility for

our rights. We have no right not to know what is being done in our name. This country was

founded on first on freedom and it is time to regain civil liberty and equal rights.

The founding fathers framed our United States Constitution so that we would have an

established, stable form of government that would function at the will of the people. They

designed our government as three branches that were to equally share power in balance with one

another. These are the Legislative Branch (Congress), the Executive Branch (Presidential) and

the Judicial Branch (The Courts). The stability afforded by the interplay of these three branches

is the strength of our government as a whole.

A formal system of checks and balances was established to control each of the three

branches. This limits their power so that one branch cannot dominate the government. This

system is essential to the proper working of our democracy. The Electoral College was designed

to eliminate corruption in our system. It instead serves unethical government officials. The

electoral system does protect Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The

electoral system is meant to allow a group of officials to make the final decision on the election
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of the U.S. President. The Electoral College system has an extensive background and is well

grounded in our current government. I do not, however, believe that it truly serves the American

people to give them representation by vote. It gives government officials the right to elect who

they see fit instead of taking the straight one man one vote to elect our President. This is one of

the basic precepts of democracy and so, I feel, the electoral process thwarts the intention of

democracy. Many people say they do not vote because their vote will not count under the

electoral process. Elimination of the electoral system would likely bring an increase in voter

turnout and eliminate apathy toward our system.

The U.S. Constitution is grounded in a system of power by the people for the people. We

can support and help our President to succeed through being actively involved in our

governmental processes. This core value of participation by the people in the interest of the

people as a whole has been lost in our country. The majority is meant to rule our government,

not the other way around. Minority values are to be represented in our government as well.

The Constitutional powers of our President is accorded allows them the authority to make

decisions that affect our immediate national security. The role of ³Commander in Chief´ is the

most important of all of the President¶s functions. The President is limited to a reasonable

authority through exercising the checks and balances that are in place in our government. The

President¶s main job is to protect the democratic process in our country. This is the source of our

safety and stability.

A number of different bureaucratic agencies have direct effects on my daily life. Some of

these are the United States Postal Service (USPS), the United States Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA), the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation (FDIC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Internal Revenue
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Service (IRS). Each one of these agencies is designed to serve different needs of Americans and

to protect the public at large.

We work around the schedules of these agencies so that we can get a motor vehicle or

commercial vehicle license, purchase private or public land and to protect our business and

personal interests. Some of these agencies have regulatory functions, such as the EPA and others

provide us with services, such as the USPS. The requirements that they place in our path during

our process is one of red tape that involves considerable performance on our part to meet

standards of eligibility. Even things that do not require us to deal directly with government

agencies, such as receiving many prescription medications from our health provider, require that

they meet regulations and legal requirements to get into our hands.

The matter of governing ourselves is one of our greatest privileges and responsibilities. I

believe that our founding fathers did an excellent job of framing a structured government that

operates on the basis of morals and strong values. Some changes do need to be affected to

discontinue political corruption in our country. The marginalization of many members of our

society through economic disparity has yielded political access and corruption in the wealthier

members. This is not the democracy that American was built upon. Only with true justice,

peace and equality are we doing our best as a nation.

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