American Democracy
That the United States of America qualifies as a democracy is clear. What is less clear is what type of democracy it is. And, that depends upon the level of government — local, state or federal.
On the one hand we have a direct democracy in which all the citizens vote directly on governmental issues. This form of government is still practiced in New England where town meetings are held annually to establish budgets, enact statues and regulations, and the like. The budgets and laws are then turned over to an administration hired to execute. Yet only the citizens, by means of their direct vote at town meetings, determines what the administration will execute.
The second form of democracy is representative democracy in which the citizens elect representatives to establish budgets, enact statues and regulations, and the like. In this form of democracy, the citizens can only indirectly influence the government by voting in representative over which they have no control until such time they can vote out a representative who has not represented their interests as citizens. This form of government is found at most local, all state and the federal levels of government.
Interestingly, governments can be a combination of both direct and representative governments simultaneously. One of the best known of these is the government of the State of California. In the November 2008 election, the citizens voted for legislative representatives as well as for 12 different Propositions initiated by citizens of California. The most famous of these was Proposition 8 to amend the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. This proposition, which was passed into law, was initiated by five ordinary citizens, Dennis Hollingsworth, Gail J. Knight, Martin F. Gutierrez, Hak-Shing William Tam, and Mark A. Jansson.
Interesting, the only level of government in the United States that does not incorporate some form of direct democracy is the federal government. No citizen of the United States can directly cause a change in the law of the land or the operation of the government. This can only be done indirectly through litigation in the federal courts in the judicial branch, election of representatives to the legislature branch and, most indirectly, election of the president and vice-president to the executive branch.
With the vestment of proactive powers in elected officials of the legislative and executive branch, can there be any surprise at the extent of corruption found there?
Imagine, if you will, direct democracy at the federal level in which issues like abortion, the role of religion in government, stem cell research, gay marriage, taxation, and acts of war could be resolved by a simple vote of the citizens directly on the issues.
Imagine the loss of power and corruption potential in elected officials knowing their political agendas can be displaced at any time by a simple vote of the citizens.
Imagine the Straussians wringing their hands over the end of civilization as they know it because, as every good Straussian would have you believe, the citizens en masse are incapable of properly governing themselves, especially by means of direct democracy, the weakest of all forms of government.
Imagine.
On the one hand we have a direct democracy in which all the citizens vote directly on governmental issues. This form of government is still practiced in New England where town meetings are held annually to establish budgets, enact statues and regulations, and the like. The budgets and laws are then turned over to an administration hired to execute. Yet only the citizens, by means of their direct vote at town meetings, determines what the administration will execute.
The second form of democracy is representative democracy in which the citizens elect representatives to establish budgets, enact statues and regulations, and the like. In this form of democracy, the citizens can only indirectly influence the government by voting in representative over which they have no control until such time they can vote out a representative who has not represented their interests as citizens. This form of government is found at most local, all state and the federal levels of government.
Interestingly, governments can be a combination of both direct and representative governments simultaneously. One of the best known of these is the government of the State of California. In the November 2008 election, the citizens voted for legislative representatives as well as for 12 different Propositions initiated by citizens of California. The most famous of these was Proposition 8 to amend the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. This proposition, which was passed into law, was initiated by five ordinary citizens, Dennis Hollingsworth, Gail J. Knight, Martin F. Gutierrez, Hak-Shing William Tam, and Mark A. Jansson.
Interesting, the only level of government in the United States that does not incorporate some form of direct democracy is the federal government. No citizen of the United States can directly cause a change in the law of the land or the operation of the government. This can only be done indirectly through litigation in the federal courts in the judicial branch, election of representatives to the legislature branch and, most indirectly, election of the president and vice-president to the executive branch.
With the vestment of proactive powers in elected officials of the legislative and executive branch, can there be any surprise at the extent of corruption found there?
Imagine, if you will, direct democracy at the federal level in which issues like abortion, the role of religion in government, stem cell research, gay marriage, taxation, and acts of war could be resolved by a simple vote of the citizens directly on the issues.
Imagine the loss of power and corruption potential in elected officials knowing their political agendas can be displaced at any time by a simple vote of the citizens.
Imagine the Straussians wringing their hands over the end of civilization as they know it because, as every good Straussian would have you believe, the citizens en masse are incapable of properly governing themselves, especially by means of direct democracy, the weakest of all forms of government.
Imagine.
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