Government: A Representative Democracy In The United States

“Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.”

America’s 32nd President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, spoke these powerful words at a 1938 Address in Marietta, Ohio. The concept that we, every citizen in America, are the government, embodies democratic ideals. Self-rule originated in the Greek city-states in the 500s and 400s B.C.E., and now it is used in dozens of countries worldwide. In a true democratic system, the people hold the power rather than the rulers. The American government is a representative democracy with elected senators and representatives who execute laws to serve the best interest of the people. As FDR said, the ultimate purpose of government is to execute the people’s will.

The fact is, however, that the duties of the government are a lot more specific than just serving the will of the people. There are dozens of different ways that politicians go about doing this: passing laws that will improve the general welfare of the population, reduce poverty, and increase safety. The role of government can be to take a general request of the people and create a specific plan that will bring the will of the citizens to fruition. For example, during the Great Depression, millions of people lost their jobs and were struggling with hunger and

This is not the case. As our founding fathers said over two hundred years ago, “We the People.” Everybody, the blue-collar workers, the stay-at-home moms, these are the people that matter in a democracy, not just the wealthy and the corporate. Roosevelt is often seen as one of the most influential presidents in the history of the United States, and perhaps this quote embodies why. He cared about what the people wanted and he recognized that government is nothing without every single