Democracy in America

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Democracy is a unique type of government, and the purpose of this essay is to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses that a democratic government provides. I will detail that many components of this type of society are both strengths and weakness as each component has beneficial aspects as well as unavoidable pitfalls.

A democracy is a government by the people, in which the power is vested in the people themselves. The people then elect representatives who conduct their power in a free electoral system. The Declaration of Independence, which says that all men are created equal, was written on the premise of a democracy.

According to John Locke, who wrote The Social Contract, before acknowledging that an individual is part of a specific government format, such as a democracy, one must understand that being an individual in society means you personally agree to partake in a social contract, which is basically an outline for the rules, standards, and conduct of that society. But what makes this a democracy is that people have conflicting views and are free to share them. In actuality, the citizens may or may not have agreed to partake in the social contract, however, they are still bound by the rules of the democracy. Once it has been established that there is a desire for a society to exist, debate over what type of government (if any) may commence.

The core concept of democracy is actually ‘equity’, rather than ‘equality’. Equity is a term which stresses the fact that while it is true everyone has equal opportunities, the conditions in which those opportunities are pursued are different for each and every individual. Equality is a term implying that everyone has the exact same opportunities, pre-existing determinants...

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...ate the functioning of nature. However, the advantage of a democratic society is that it provides all people with the opportunity to become stronger, and become better educated even though it is not immediately pertinent to a modern day society.

Democracy is a very functional system of government - strengths and weakness all-encompassed. The benefits and pitfalls that go hand-in-hand with a democratic society call for a fluid and amendable constitution. Nevertheless, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses as evidenced by the overall equitable conditions amidst the citizens, and the equal opportunities available to all.

Works Cited

Benjamin Franklin, “Benjamin Franklin - The Autobiography and Other Writings”, (Penguin Books) 1986, 131

de Tocqueville, 179

Alexis de Tocqueville, “Democracy in America”, (Signet Classics) 2001, 144

de Tocqueville, 111

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