ipl-logo

The Argument Against Participatory Democracy

553 Words3 Pages

Although the United States is not a direct democracy the Constitution established popular sovereignty to insure that the people hold the most political power; and today, participatory democracy is exercised. When citizens elect representatives, their job is to represent the views of the people. Fair representation is in the best interest of these officials because they want to get reelected. Today participatory democracy allows Americans to vote for representatives who will make decisions they agree with. In the House of Representatives, elected members represent their districts, speaking for their people as a voice on the House floor. In contemporary American democracy, indivials elect representatives who will maintain popular sovereignty …show more content…

The ideal form of democracy would be pluralist, because groups that belong to minorities would gain a stronger voice and their opinions would be put into action. Pluralism can be achieved if citizens get better at forming unions. For example, labor unions provided refuge for many Americans during and after the Great Depression. Since 1985, America has been experiencing a decrease in Labor Unions President Barack Obama even stated that “unions have been back on their heels over the last several decades,” and agrees that the United States “should do everything we can to strengthen unions in this country. While current politicians are able to admit that the modern lack of unions is holding America back, they understand that there is a great need for unions, since they would strengthen the country. A slogan for democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, is “When unions are strong, America is strong,” this is because labor unions provide hope for the working class Although the United States does not currently have a pluralist democracy, politicians believe that pluralism would better promote the general welfare and provide the best future for the

Show More
Related

  • Studied Criticisms Of James Madison's Federalist 10

    343 Words  | 2 Pages

    The representatives would be the voices of their constituents, leaving them with the responsibility of making decisions for the public good.

    Read More

  • 2000 Dbq Essay

    944 Words  | 4 Pages

    The creation of the United States is considered by many to be a great experiment in democracy. After the War of 1812, America was filled with tremendous nationalism and as the young country grew, many nations look to it as both an inspiration and a warning. Americans seemed united behind their president James Monroe, who was elected in 1816 and then ran uncontested for his second term in 1820. However, even during this time there were many discussions and arguments within the nation’s own government regarding the benefits of democracy.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Electoral College System

    1006 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the constitutional convention of 1787, our nation's founding fathers came together to come up with a method to elect a president at a time when the majority of Americans couldn’t make an educated decision when voting so Electors who trusted with the responsibility to represent their state and make an informed choice. Our founding fathers came up with an indirect method, the Electoral College, which proved successful by allowing Americans to choose their state representatives and senators who would represent their vote and through a majority choose a president-elect. Through the electoral college, each state gets two senators and a varied number of state representatives depending on the population of their state that the people vote for themselves

    Read More

  • Democracy In Colonial America Dbq Analysis

    334 Words  | 2 Pages

    Citizen Participation is one democratic feature. Citizen Participation is not only rights, it is a duty. Citizens are allowed to vote, and much more. The House of Burgesses allow citizens to have a voice in government by letting the citizens vote. Examples of activities that suggest the importance of a legislature are..

    Read More

  • The Pledge Of Allegiance Summary

    383 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everything our forefathers studied raised fear and revealed that pure democracies “have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths". The word democracy is used today to describe governments that derive power from citizens and are held accountable to those citizens when using that power. Utilizing modern usage of the term, the United States can be described as a democracy and even though there are examples of "pure democracy" to be found, for example, state ballots containing policy questions that are directly decided by popular vote, the U.S. Constitution does not allow national ballot referendums or initiatives because those that framed it were opposed to the idea and were not comfortable with common

    Read More

  • Democratic Government Dbq

    385 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United States has a democratic government, which means our citizens get to help choose how our country works. The Constitution is setup to include citizens in the law making and voting process and preventing the US from turning into a tryannical government. Three ways we do thi s is by using Federalism, Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances. Federalism is a system our country uses to make sure power doesn’t stay in one area (Doc A). This method gives specific responsibilities to Central Government and each state.

    Read More

  • Electoral College Flaws

    1212 Words  | 5 Pages

    America was molded by a group of individuals who felt that their voice was being drowned out by a tyrannical monarchy. After the revolution, this was resolved by creating a system that attempted to allow all people to have a say in the country’s government. The Electoral College was established as a representative way for the citizens of America to elect a leader; however, many are not satisfied with the results.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Voting

    1044 Words  | 5 Pages

    Since the founding of America in 1776 countless people have either become disenfranchised by the federal government or backed the government. From laws being passed to decisions being made there will always be a division amongst the American people. Whether arguing over gun laws or citizenship rights, the debate is always there and met with some form of counter argument from either side. What makes America so great is the fact that you have the right to have a voice and speak out for your opinions. One of the greatest ways for a citizen to be heard is voting.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience In Democracy

    1207 Words  | 5 Pages

    Democracy is a system where the majority rules. Peter Singer writes, ““It has long been recognized that there is a danger of injustice in democracy because the democratic system takes no account of the intensity with which views are held, so that a majority which does not care very much about an issue can out-vote a minority for which the issue is of vital concern. By civil disobedience the minority can represent the intensity of its feelings to the

    Read More

  • America Is Not A Democracy Essay

    581 Words  | 3 Pages

    Even our founding fathers didn 't want a democracy, because they thought it would cause disarray and issues. The United States of America is not truly a democracy for those

    Read More

  • A Brief Note On Pluralistic Society In The United States

    1329 Words  | 6 Pages

    al., 2015). In U.S. context, pluralism is often regarded as one of the hallmarks of America democracy. This is because in the United States, pluralism ensures the existence and maintenance of diverse group identities. It also implies that various groups in U.S. society have mutual respect for one another’s identity, a respect that allows minorities to express their own identity without suffering prejudice or hostility. In the United States, pluralism is thus more an ideal than a reality (Norman, 2015; Schaefer, 2000; Shaw et.

    Read More

  • Strengths Of Democracy In Canada

    1065 Words  | 5 Pages

    Research Paper On Democracy in Canada Name : Harpreet Kaur Introduction The word democracy describes a Political System of any country. Dramatic changes have taken place in recent Years at the national level with respect to the day today functioning of our constitutional democracy. In a Democratic country like Canada , America all the citizens that are eligible have the rights to participate directly or indirectly in decision making that affect them.

    Read More

  • Argument Essay: The Definition Of Freedom

    1090 Words  | 5 Pages

    Representatives of the people are a big part in preserving freedom, this gives the people a voice in choosing what they need to succeed. For a working society that still has freedom, it needs representatives, just like in Abigail Adams letters to her husband John, he acted like a representative for the women so they were noticed and taken into account. Abigail had written these letters to John about what was happening in her daily life and the status of the town; she had asked John to “remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors,” this was one of the first steps in womans freedom. Without representatives of the people there would be no freedom to establish or

    Read More

  • Two Similarities Between Direct Democracy And Liberal Democracy

    912 Words  | 4 Pages

    Democracy is a form of government offering a workable solution to the fundamental political problem of reaching collective decisions by peaceful means. Democracy can also be about political equality and giving everyone an equal voice in saying how a state should be governed The procedures required to deliver democratic political equality are , free and fair elections, universal suffrage, freedom of expression and information and freedom of association . There are many types of democracies but in my essay I will explain only two types of democracies which are direct democracy and liberal democracy Direct democracy is a form of democracy where citizens are given an extraordinary amount of participation in the legislation process and granting them a maximum political self determination. It can also be called “pure democracy”.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Political Parties

    1692 Words  | 7 Pages

    A democracy is a system of government that gives the people the power to govern. This can either be done directly, where citizens actively participate in the decision making of the country, or indirectly through elected representatives. The purpose of the democratic process is to protect the interests of all citizens of a country. In order to do so, every citizen in the country needs a medium through which to express his political opinion to defend his interests. This is the role of political parties.

    Read More

More about The Argument Against Participatory Democracy

Open Document