The Concept Of American Democracy - 1699 Words

Democracy is perhaps the most elusive concept of all times. But if there has to be something more elusive, it will surely be the concept of American democracy. In 1858, Abraham Lincoln is known to have written:  ¨As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master †¦ This expresses my idea of democracy. Whoever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy. ¨ The initial understanding of American democracy takes the form of an antithesis of English colonialism and slavery. Based on this understanding, there is little doubt that the foundations of the  ´greatest democracy on earth ´ are to be found in the darkest, the most blatantly majoritarian and atrocious times. There is little disagreement among constitutional†¦show more content†¦How does the American concept of democracy reconcile with the  ¨rule by the people, of the people and for the people ¨ conception of democracy today? While America truly is exceptional in its dynamism, it is also shockingly imperfect in ways that most true patriots refuse to accept. ItÅ› greatness and freeness is by no means premised on empirical facts. If anything, the situation is otherwise. Freedom House, is an independent watchdog that rates countries based on their civil and political rights accessibility to the citizens. According to their 2017 report, America scored the highest mark on each front, just like many other European countries, but it ranks much lower according to the aggregate score, which takes into account factors like electoral process, political pluralism and participation, and functioning of government, freedom of expression and belief etc. For me, as a foreigner, the idea of American democracy can be better understood as a culture, rather than a system of government. As someone not fully versed with the specifics of the political history and the intricacies of the electoral system, I view American democracy as a set up characterized by three things: An unprecedented level of individual autonomy A deep distrust for the government The concept of limited government (which has increasingly become a contentious feature of American governance) Based on theseShow MoreRelatedJudicial Review: The American Concept of Democracy671 Words   |  3 PagesJudicial Review Judicial review should remain the sole prerogative of the courts, which only a constitutional amendment can nullify or alter. Furthermore, the courts should always be guided in its exercise by judicial restraint. The American concept of democracy provides that no branch of government shall be more powerful and uncontrolled than the other branches (Lutzenberger, 2012). Judicial review is the power of the courts to oversee and prevent the legislative and executive branches from becomingRead MoreRoots of American Democracy Essay642 Words   |  3 Pagessources. More specifically, the American form of Democracy stretch back beyond the formation of the United States, having origin in ancient Greek thinking, the Enlightenment, as well as the English and their injustice, The United States owes its birth as a country to many areas of influence. The Ancient Greeks were the first to put the power of a nation in the hands of the average citizen, they created the idea of the democratic government, practiced as a direct democracy. Voting, political assemblyRead MoreThe National Identity Of Being Amercian Essay779 Words   |  4 PagesOne 100 years from now, will Americans still have a sense of national identity ? Joonkyung(David) Chi, Class - 11:30 The national identity of being Amercian will be the concept of everyone. A. The prominent national identitiy of being American is the freedom.†¨ Today, The freedom may could be considered by the value of Amercian. According to The Atlantic, when American were asked the question â€Å"What contributes to America having stronger values than other places in the world?†, over the half ofRead MoreEssay On Civil Disobedience830 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The concept of righteous civil disobedience is incompatible with the concept of the American legal system.† It is because, I agree with Morris I Leibman from the advocates.org in the position that civil disobedience does not work with American legal systems or democratic legal systems in general, that I am compelled to negate today’s resolution, Resolved: Civil disobedience in a democracy is morally justified. For clarification of my position, I offer the following definitions: Word: Civil Source:Read MoreDemocracy As A Best Solution, And Underlying Capitalist Forces1490 Words   |  6 PagesDemocracy has morphed in the face of time due to exterior forces which in turn have impacted the understanding of what democracy in action should look like. Technology, education, religious decay and rise, and many other facets of modern life have overwhelmed the understanding of what democracy is. Simply engaging with the concept of democracy is in itself an acceptance of values and assumptions about what governments, and many times economies, should look like. But this paper hardly allows for alternativeRead MoreDemocracy And Its Impact On Democracy1329 Words   |  6 Pages Democracy is a particular form of government the means, â€Å"ruled by the people†. The Greeks are widely credited for the concept of democracy, around six B.C. 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These individuals would likely be surprised that some of greatest minds in human history dating back to the time of Aristotle and Plato and continuing through to modern times have viewed democracy differently andRead MoreCritical Analysis of Alex de Tocquevilles Democracy in America1366 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America Alexis de Tocqueville’s visit to the United States in 1831 prompted his work Democracy in America. This was supposed to be a chance for him to take a look at the American prison system. However, it was obvious from his writing that he looked at every aspect of American culture. In Democracy in America, he takes a look at how democracy works and the pitfalls that could bring about the downfall of democracy. Throughout his travels he noticedRead More`` Jihad Vs. Mcworld ``1504 Words   |  7 PagesWhitman Center for the Culture and Politics of Democracy, has written several books with his disputations on this area. Barber published â€Å"Jihad vs. McWorld† in 1996 arguing that westernized capitalistic democratic countries, more specifically the United States, are culprits of citizen-less democracies, and annihilation of traditional cultural values through the use of Americanization. Through worldwide concepts, Barber successfully explains that true democracy, a nd nation states are being torn apart thoughRead MoreDeclaration Of Independence Essay examples504 Words   |  3 Pages Rights of the People nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A democracy is a system of government controlled by the people, not by one certain group or individual. In the Declaration of Independence it states that â€Å"all men are created equal,† an idea which leads to the concept that all citizens should have the same rights, responsibilities, and influence in the governing of their country. In writing the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson was trying to break his ties with the harsh and non-democratic