The following is a paper I wrote for a class at Penn State called Rights in America
I would like some feedback about what and how I wrote. Any criticism positive negative and advisory is appreciated.
*I already found one typo of "salves", should have read "slaves".
All men are created equal. Yet for Democracy to be a true Democracy all capable men and women must be included in the meaning of the word “Men”. Democracy traces its beginnings as far back as the times of non-literate tribes who made survival-based decisions together. Of course, over time democracy has seen peaks and valleys as it has developed to present day and now in or present time is more than arguably at its highest peak ever. I believe this is because Democracy is ingrained in our humanity as a natural occurrence when conditions allow, whether they are given or forged.
While there where small patches of democracy through history with small settlements, it was the Greeks and Romans who first established the forms of democracy for a large number of peoples. Their attempt at democracy was not only beneficial for many among them it also stood for many centuries. What’s more is their philosophy still lends influence on people of this generation of democracy today.
After the fall of Rome popular governance on a larger scale did not reappear until the city states of Italy emerged around 1100 C.E. At this point more inclusive governing took place and flourished along with a good number of it’s citizens who saw prosperity. It is more than likely that this also fostered the Renaissance. Still, this period of time was again taken by corruption, war, and economic decline and a number of other reasons. What all of these examples I have mentioned lacked where the three basic political institutions necessary to carry out and continue for the long term, they are: a national government, a parliament of elected officials, and of course the basic local government. It was the Vikings who first implemented this to a degree although they still lacked the inclusion of all among them as they also kept slaves.
For a democracy to be true Dahl believed there are five standards which it must meet, or have. The first being that each member be allowed to effectively participate by making their views known to each other. The second is that each member’s vote be worth no more and no less than any other member’s vote. Third, each member must understand the alternatives and consequences of the decisions to be made. Fourth, the agenda of what policy to create or strike down must be equally controlled and open to change. Fifth and finally is the simple inclusion of all adults, even though history has shown that has not been so simple.
These five standards enable society to avoid being ruined by tyrannical leaders and allows for the greater numbers of citizens to be prosperous. More importantly these standards create equality among citizens While there is more history of people living in unequal terms it would be unlikely that there were salves who were content to be slaves or peasants content to live with no say over laws or policies enforced on them. Although a great many have lived and died as salves or subjects under rule of a crown, today’s number of democracys around the globe should be proof enough that the claimed intrinsic superiority of one person over another is inherently false. Which also shows that guardianship would not stand when inclusion would have to be taken away.
Institutions for democracy are not only necessary they also insure its continuance into the future. Representatives chosen through free, fair and frequent elections allow for participation and control of the agenda by each citizen. Free expression by the individual and by the press and other sources of information allow for greater understanding of the issues and policies at hand which again give towards participation and control of the agenda. While complete democracy may mean to some that every single individual will have their time to speak, the logistics of such a thing on even the smallest of nations would be impossible unless they were content with policy changes or implementations to take place every decade or so. With this consideration it becomes clear that representation is not only advantageous, it is practically required on every level of government.
Constitutions form the backbone of how a democratic country conducts itself. While rare, some countries have established institutions that are not covered with in their written constitution. They were simply accepted as a norm for various reasons. A constitution may, but not always, allow for different branches of government, establish terms of elected officials, and create the means for how elections take place at the respective level of government. More importantly, as each individually elected official may come and go, a constitution provides stability over time while also establishing the fundamental rights and legitimacy of that countries government.
So why should individuals prefer democracy over any other discovered form of government? To put it simply, all others have failed in one way or another. Whether it was a collapsed economy (Russia), isolation from the rest of the world (“Democratic” People’s Republic of Korea), or a slow parting from Monarchy (United Kingdom). While at the same time democratic countries have shown great prosperity with a market economy. Even though a completly free market can be destructive, a governments ability to impose regulation can help protect its citizens from what would otherwise create unconquerable inequalities. Which again shows why representative democracy can be preferable to existing alternatives.
In summary, democracy in today has taken many different shapes. Though comparatively still new, given the overall amount of time humans have existed, the ability for modern democracy to surpass the Romans record will depend on it’s ability to confront the coming challenges. Economic equality and internationalization will take global leaders and repeated peaceful compromise to prevent heavy unbalancing. Cultural homogeneity is quickly eroding and common ground between all must be found and reinforced. Finally, if we are to continue in this great endeavor of democracy education in civics and general must become a priority not only among the representatives but among each citizen of each country.
References
Dahl, R. A. (1998). On Democracy. Yale University.