Are We a Democrat or a Rebublic
Monique Brown
Prof.Gottlieb
BMCC
Many Americans when asked to describe what form of government the U.S resides under, would make the mistake of stating that we are a democracy. It is a common assumption that is made amongst the American people today. According to Alexus de Toqueville, “a democracy is a form of government in which the people are given the option to vote on ever political decision”. So why would Americans make the mistake of thinking we are a democracy when we the people are not given the right to vote on every ballot and especially since our opinions doesn’t affect on every decision?.
Americans who are led to believe that believe that the USA is a democracy believes so because they feel the United States gives the people the power to make important decisions that have major impact on the lives of the American people. According to Walter Williams, a democracy is “a form of government in which the people decide policy matters directly- -through town hall meetings or by voting on ballot initiatives and referendums”. While government does have a slight hint of the old democratic form, the definition of democracy has changed over time. The democracy that we think of today allows us to choose representatives to help voice our opinions. Whereas, in the ancient Greek City of Athens people were their own representatives. In truth, there is more depth to these definitions than what many may think they mean today.
Yes the U.S constitution’s preamble states that we are a government as one for and by the people but think about it. Is that really the case? In a democracy, citizens elect their leaders, people have a right to change their leaders if they feel that action is necessary, people choose their leaders through elections which are held frequently, elections are free and fair and people have civil rights. Now think about it, can u honestly say all of the above characteristics are embedded in the U.S...