Corruption Of Democracy In America

“Corruption, improper and usually unlawful conduct intended to secure a benefit for oneself or another its forms include bribery, extortion, and the misuse of inside information. It exists where there is community indifference or a lack of enforcement policies.”(Encyclopedia Britannica). Today political Corruption in all forms exists in every country in the world. In some countries it is more prominent then in others, but no matter where you go it still occurs. Recently in mid 2013 some political corruption was brought to light in New York. “Since 2007, state senators have been more likely to be arrested then to lose their seats in a general election,” (New York Public Interest Research group). In April of 2013 New York State

The Progress movement or as many refer to as the Progressive era, was a time frame where Americans joined in varying groups to advocate reform across the United States. To elaborate, Progressives believed in widespread change for child labor, industrialization, government, racial reform, and women’s rights. Countless stories of corruption in these areas were brought to light in the Progressive era mostly due to the published writings of Muckrakers. Muckrakers, were journalists who wrote for popular magazines that attempted to expose corrupt political activities from their investigative journalism. Furthermore, I will discuss and compare these groups and their attempts for changes in the rights of child labor, women, acknowledgment of corrupt government practices, racial relations, and industrialization reform.

Despite being one of the oldest and most consistently stable democracies in the Western world, the American government, and American democracy as a whole, has frequently come under fire in recent years. Whether it is political parties, pundits, bloggers or citizens, Americans and non-Americans are all lining up to take shots at what they diagnose as a storied democracy crumbling before their eyes. Two of Robert Dahl’s criteria for a healthy democracy are enlightened understanding: are citizens able to acquire the political information necessary to participate in their own democracy, and control of the agenda: do the American senators and members of congress have exclusive and

           The U.S. electoral system was created to give every citizen a say in who their elected officials should be, but this system has failed miserably. The right to vote is a basic right that needs be provided to every American regardless of such traits as political party, religion, or ethnicity. It is unethical to deny a person the right to vote and historically that has been a major problem in the United States. Our election system is completely corrupt and voter rights is not the only problem, strategically drawing voting districts is also a major issue. Our current electoral system is corrupt and unethical because of gerrymandering, the breaking down of the voter rights act, and voter ID laws.

“All contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law” This quote from Theodore Roosevelt illustrates how corporate money can be disastrous when involved in election cycles. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The Supreme Court decided in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that companies and Super PAC’s could donate unlimited amount of money to support candidates. The Citizens United ruling has caused increased political corruption in the United States by giving candidates the money they need to win an election while changing policies that would be beneficial to the company.

Along this same line, it is the duty of Americans to believe and support democracy to the fullest extent. Our for fathers gave their lives in the pursuit of democracy and to go against this would treason to an extent. As William Bennet said in his essay, “A Nation Worth Defending”, “American patriotism has always been rooted in love of the principles upon which the nation was founded: liberty, equality, justice, and democracy.” America is the greatest nation on Earth and we are privileged to be a citizen of it.

Since the United States of America established itself as its own self-governing country, one of the things that caused it to be salient and stand out from other countries is its relentless insistence on functioning as a democracy. Wars and protests have occurred so that every type of people, whether it was women or African Americans, may be granted the right to vote. Having a say in the American government is an honor and a privilege bestowed upon American citizens when they reach the age of eighteen. However, in recent years, statistics have shown that voter turnout and participation in recent elections has been rapidly and steadily declining, causing the United States to have the lowest voter participation in the world (“Is the System

Being a die-hard proud American means many different things to contrasting types of people. To some individuals it may mean demeaning other countries and surmise that America is the best of the best. In turn some individuals are firm believers that wearing red, white, and blue on national holidays or anytime in general exhibits a committed proud American. Or having the biggest firework display during holidays like the fourth of July, New Years Eve, Memorial Day, or Labor Day. To some being a proud American is defined by having the American flag flying proudly outside their house at all times. To me being a proud America means an array of things. First it means being proud of our country even when it is going through a rough time. Knowing the

It is extremely important for Americans and the rest of the world that America is a democracy. Democracy has been the foundation that has allowed for such a diverse populace to coexist and thrive. America is seen as the golden standard and models the benefits that come along with being a representative democracy. While democracy has allowed America to prosper as a multicultural society, it is increasingly becoming fragile. Certain aspects of American democracy like the electoral college, gerrymandering and lower voter turnout further threaten the democratic nature of America.

In recent years, and especially in the time following the recent election, many Americans - especially Bernie Sanders and the like - have furthered the ideology that America is becoming an oligarchy. Founding father Thomas Jefferson once said, "The end of democracy and the defeat of the American Revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of lending institutions and moneyed incorporations." Because American politics are so heavily influenced by money, social status and media attention, I believe that we are closer to a complete oligarchical political system than ever before.

I am proud to be an American because it is a place where everyone belongs, where no one is left out. In America there is always room for hope and prosperity. America might be free, but in this land we fight tooth and nail for what we believe in, no matter what it is, no matter the cost. America is the country of fighters, know worldwide for fighting for their beliefs, for fighting for what we think is right. I am proud to be an American because of it's sanctuary it offers, because of the men and women that fought selflessly for our freedom. I am proud because of America's rich history that makes it the country that it is

America's democracy is in danger due to the fact that politicians have a high price at which they can be legally bought/bribed by multimillion dollar industries and corporations. Today, corporations are legally able to bribe people in political power both directly and indirectly to allow less regulations on the way they do business. Through this, they can make as much money as possible, even at the expense of their workers, the ecosystem, and competition. Corporations basically have the same exact rights as a living, breathing person even although they are constructed to get as much money as possible. Corporations are given the ability to slowly unweave this democracy without the average American having the opportunity to say anything against

Each country has its own specific type of government in place in order to create laws and govern the citizens of that nation. Many governments have slowly, or quickly, become corrupted. Some are already corrupt. They can become unfair to regular citizens and even place innocent people in jail to cover up their own nefarious deeds. they print money and cause inflation, which eventually makes all their money worthless. Government officials can even hide important things from the public.

country has ever seen.  I have to say I am very proud to call myself an American with

I feel that the checks and balances not sufficient enough to keep the power elites, of this great country under strict regulation. The elite of America have been here since the start. Since the establishment of the United States in 1776 those who have the money, have the power. George Washington was one of the largest landowners of his time. This theme stays true all the way to George Bush who had ties into the oil and natural resource business. I felt because of the lack of competing countries on the same continent, no controlling church and no big military to threaten the government which fostered a nation based on economic rule in America.