The Pros And Cons Of American Democracy

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As political chaos ensued in recent times in Hong Kong, the Americans can count themselves fortunate to have a working political system. The US is a strong democratic state, whose citizens are able to scrutinise their government through peaceful, non-violent means. In spite of periodic economic downturns, America has upheld a fair democratic “system that gives everyone a voice and gives equal weight to everybody's vote” (Edwards, 2012). Hence, Americans are able to contribute to policy-making and the government, in consultation with the people, can devise the best solutions that are fair and effective. However, the reality of the American democracy is not as rosy, with various special interests preventing the government from taking actions…show more content…
For example, the “Tea Party” and “Occupy Wall Street” movements are avenues for citizens to voice out their opinions on policies through peaceful protests. Likewise, the “Rally to Restore Sanity” and “Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow” initiatives are ways that citizens can propagate and support political ideas in a non-disruptive manner (Edwards, 2012). Most importantly, Americans have their ultimate say in governance via a free and fair elections system with each citizen having an equal say. Its utility can be observed in the very fact that bad governments from both parties have constantly been voted out. In the words of Mike Edwards, “democracy has the unique ability to take in criticism, protest, and dissatisfaction and turn those negative feelings towards positive behaviour” (2012). Hence, the American democracy is strong as it empowers its citizens through freedoms of expression and association, and universal suffrage in airing their views, which is further acted on by the…show more content…
virtually everyone) from offering any workable solution. On one hand, “Starving the beast”, as suggested by conservatives, “ignores the necessity of capable government regulation for any efficient capitalist economy.” On the other hand, the progressive side is equally at fault by “encumbering the government with contradictory and unfunded mandates (that) only reduces public confidence in the state’s capacity to serve its citizens fairly and efficiently.” The resultant “systemic paralysis” has cost America the ability to “pay down its deficits, rebuild its infrastructure, fund its rising long-term obligations to the aged, or rebuild its tax code to be simple, progressive, and fair” (as cited in Ignatieff, 2014). Simply put, the American government has effectively become unable to do its

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