Characteristics of American Democracy Essay: A Quick Essay
Democracy is a system of governance employed by the government by granting power to its citizens. This system is achieved directly or indirectly, where the people are represented by elected government agents (Baldez et al., 2009).
Most countries have adopted this type of government since the 17th century. The U.S first adopted democracy in 1776. There are several characteristics of democracy in the U.S.
Characteristics of American Democracy
The first characteristic of democracy in the United States is citizen rule. The citizens are constitutionally given the right to elect their leaders (Henschen & Sidlow, 2015). There exist clear guidelines that regulate this process.
Those elective posts have specified term limits and election cycles rule (Henschen & Sidlow, 2015). This grants opportunities to candidates to contest for key positions at regular intervals.
This rule allows the United States citizens to hire, rehire or fire their representatives. For this reason, the elected candidates strive to deliver their promises and act efficiently to win the people’s trust.
The majority rule and the minority rights principle are the other characteristics employed by the United States democratic government (Binmber, 2006).
This principle is mostly exercised during election processes. It automatically gives the majority the upper hand during elections. This does not mean that the minority is not protected.
Decentralized local government bodies are created to protect the minority (Bimber, 2006). Democracy entails the accessibility of all government bodies; hence, the Constitution protects people equally, which also embodies the Bill of rights.
Another important characteristic of the United States democracy is the individual rights. This means that the rights of every individual in the United States are protected (Riley, 2015). There are different types of people in a country.
They usually differ in race, religious beliefs, cultural beliefs, educational levels and ideologies. This characteristic ensures that the individual rights of every person with different attributes are thus protected. Hence every individual has the freedom to express themselves in the United States.
Elections are held at an interval of four years in the United States (Freeman & Minow, 2006). The people vote for representatives for all levels of government. These elections are supposed to be free and fair.
This is a vital requirement of any democratic government. Every adult in the United States has the fundamental right to vote for their preferred representative.
This process implements the people’s will in a fashion that is accepted and deemed just.
After the voting process, the citizens of the United States are required to guide their own freedoms through active participation in the government.
A democratic government accepts diversity (Henschen & Sidlow, 2015). In this regard, individual rights are protected.
This basic principle gives its people the right to be different. Diversity is thus embraced through active participation and fair representation of all different people in the government.
All communities are fairly represented without bias or prejudice. This principle ensures that there is tolerance through the governing processes. This crowns the democratic space of the people through cooperation and compromise.
However, it is important to note that the American government differs from the theory of a democratic government. This is because America is a republic (Freeman & Minow, 2006). True democracy is based on the fact that every adult has the right to vote on laws and policies affecting their lives (Hall & Overholser, 2005).
This is not true in America, where the representatives make decisions on such issues for the represented citizens. The theory of deliberate democracy is, therefore, dishonored.
The majority rule or popular consent governs America. According to Etzioni (2005), sometimes, the minority are unfairly represented.
This is contrary to the theory of radical democracy that allows room for differences, antagonism, and dissents in the decision-making process. It is important to note that the elected representatives may not fairly represent their electorates by engaging in corrupt activities.
References
Baldez, L, Wolbrecht, C., & Beekwith, K. (2009). Women and American Democracy. London. Cambridge University Press.
Bimber, B. (2006). Information and American Democracy. London. Cambridge University Press.
Etzioni, A. ( 2005). Capital Corruption. The new attack on American Democracy. New Bruswick Transaction Publishers
Freeman, J., & Minow, M. (2009). Government by contract. Outsourcing and American Democracy. London. Harvard University Press
Hall, K., & Overholser G. (2005). The institution of American Democracy. The press. London. Oxford University Press. Henschen, B., & Sidlow, I. E. (2015). American Government. Boston. Cengage Learning
Josh Jasen or JJ as we fondly call him, is a senior academic editor at Grade Bees in charge of the writing department. When not managing complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In his spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.
