Democracy Individualism Essay example

Each type of government holds different views as to the role the leaders and citizens should perform in their country .Different types of government include, oligarchy where the government is run by the best leaders, Tyranny, where they believe those in power should have complete control over its people. In the United States of America, we believe in democracy, rule by the majority. The main problem with our type of government is maintaining it. Our government and its citizens have lost sight of their roles and responsibilities, in government.

Alexis de Tocqueville (1835), a French political thinker, stated that individualism is not mere selfishness, but is “a mature and calm feeling, which disposes each member of the community to sever himself from the mass of his fellows and to draw apart with his family and friends, so that after he has thus former a little circle of his own, he willingly leaves society at large to itself […] individualism, at first, only saps the virtues of public life; but in the long run it attacks and destroys all others and is at length absorbed in downright selfishness”. In this sense, the relationship between the individual and community is seen as a negative one, with individualism being a selfish time-bomb that explodes and destroys the collectiveness needed to

Despite the many crises that the United States has faced historically, democracy has persisted. However, this is not to say that the system is secure or deeply rooted. In fact, based on the events of recent decades, it has been weakening. In How Democracies Die, Levitsky and Ziblatt provide examples of how American democracy has exemplified the positive and negative aspects of other global democracies of the past and present. Although the US is exceptional in some ways, with its longstanding democratic institutions and diverse population, it is more similar to others than different. Thus, the idea that few parallels can be drawn to other nations is disproven. The process of comparing each state is analogous to that of differentiating between

Do you stand alone as a unique and special individual? Since the beginning of American history there have been struggles for individualism. The American Revolution, the American Civil War, and the separation from family life are all examples of individualism in American history. Individualism is an American paradigm designed by the modern societal structure that is an altered idea of the foundation by immigrants. In today’s society the struggle for individualism is more personal and represents how American values have shifted since the beginning of American history.

According to the material, Americans are taught that their behaviors and choices made come from within themselves. This particular characteristic asserts the position of individualism. Individualism drives Americans to believing that there is uniqueness about themselves and their situation. The belief of emphasizing a human’s ability to choose is strengthened by American cultural narratives. This belief also leads to the fundamental narrative of American culture: Regeneration through regression.

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

“Why fit in when you were taught to Stand Out!!” -Dr.Suess. Individualism is greatly discussed by many viewpoints, many for it, as well as against it. “Dead Poets Society” is a film that shows why individualism is needed in our society. Another great example is “What to a slave is the Fourth of July” -Frederick Douglass. Individualism is a great deal in the world, and people should understand what it is like to be an Individual to see that the world wouldn’t be the same if everyone was alike. People should know that we are all meant to be our own person in life and if we were all the same as everyone else in society, the world would be dry and lame.

Horizons in Theory and American Culture : Facing the Other : Ethical Disruption and the American Mind" by Linda Bolton, published in March 2010. The old, classic, unforgotten articles have a lot to say about freedom and individuality, some through the stories of others. These ideas from long ago explain how our country runs today. The author’s thesis is to reflect ethical dialogues that revisit six important moments in the archive of American letters, as well as interrogate existing articles and it’s interpretations to inform our culture of American history. She bases her book on the idea that the most crucial concerns of ideals in the United States starts and concludes with individuality.

American politics has proved to be flawed in structure over, and over again. Although our founding fathers had the best intentions when they implemented democracy, they like most modern day politicians, failed to actually make things better. Yes we gained our Independence, but with the ability to make our own choices we tend to make childish and impulsive decisions. The election of Donald Trump stands to be the most recent of those mistakes, and the politicians who work for him are either blinded or full of regret. Poets Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Robert Lowell paint vivid pictures of these very mistakes that seem to recur with the thought of democracy.

For millennia, humans have been seeking a perfect form of government, but it remains an enigma. However, among numerous systems of government, democracy proves itself to be the most effective form government in the history. A democratic government is built and abolished by the people. Thus, the government is the voice of the people and acts accordingly to their wishes. Nevertheless, there were only a few nations employed this system, and the United States of America was one of the oldest democracy in the world. After the American Revolutionary War, a young republic was established with all characteristics of a democracy. Although many critics argue that the young republic was not a democratic government because of slavery, racism, and social class discrimination, it was the most fully developed democracy in the eighteenth century. In order to explain why the United States chose democracy, it is important to understand the American’s ideology. Frederick Jackson Turner in his essay, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History”, implies that the American frontier produced individualism which was the main factor that led to a democratic government in America. In his essay, he points out both advantages and disadvantages of individualism in democracy. However, by examining our democratic government and our Constitution, individualism is an essential element of our democracy, for it promotes liberty and prevents an authoritarian

“The strongest democracies flourish from frequent and lively debate, but they endure when people of every background and belief find a way to set aside smaller differences in service of a greater purpose.” This quote was said by former President Barack Obama at a press conference back in 2009. The United States of America was the underdog in the American Revolutionary War, but with the help of the strong-willed people who migrated over to this forward-thinking country and the support of our French allies, we won our independence. While residence of the red, white, and blue might have thought that the war was the end of our problems, in hindsight, it was only the beginning. We built our nation to be the best example of democracy on the planet, but it took a long time before that affirmation became true. Many lives have been lost fighting for our democracy. Before the Civil War, to call our great country a democracy would be a dishonest statement. According to Merriam-Webster, Democracy is “a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.” During this time, slaves, women of all races, and white men in the original thirteen colonies who did not own land could not vote. These people had no say in the government and that is not a democracy. The United States of America was not a true democracy after we declared independence in 1776.

Eric Mack’s essay “In Defense of Individualism” provides a basic outlook of individualistic personalities and interactions that are prevalent throughout society. Mack gives definitions of different theories in individualism, breaking the encompassing thought

Throughout the U.S., individualism is greatly promoted. Individualism has allowed our country to moved forward in many, many ways. It has brought about many topics that are controversial due to clashing mindsets. One of the topics that has been heavily debated upon are vaccinations. Vaccinations have been given throughout time in order to make the person receiving the vaccination immune to a disease or to improve their current health condition. Many religions, however, don 't approve of vaccinations or injecting anything in to the body. These religions range from non-theistic religions like Buddhism to monotheistic religions like Christianity. Among religions that disagree are people who have personal issues with vaccinations. These reasons can range from being a vegan to just being against medicine. Whether someone disagrees with receiving a vaccination based on religion or personal belief, their choice should be protected at all costs. I believe that the U.S. should respect an individuals choice on this topic and not only continue to respect non-medical exemptions, but expand their current acceptance of non-medical exemptions across all fifty states. To do this, I recommend that the law that is in place currently, should be put in place in all fifty states to protect the citizens who are choosing to not receive a vaccination, no matter what their choice is based on.

Many people across the world have their own definition and beliefs of the word individualism. There is nothing selfish to be able to express ones personality and internal emotions. Being an individual alone could value a person’s overall true character. The claim presented would be opposed by many because people like to feel independent and self-reliant. Individualism in today’s society lets people express themselves, and helps create something small into something big. For a long time now individualism has existed since the founding of our country. History was created by those who showed independence and proved that an individual can do it all.

The United States of America is one of the oldest contemporary democracies, is currently the second largest democracy, and is ranked the 16th best democracy in the world (Campbell et. Al, 2014). Yet there is a legitimate question over whether or not the United States can still truly be considered a democracy, with some studies even suggesting it has begun to resemble an oligarchy (Chumley, 2014). In this essay, I will use Dahl’s criteria of voting equality and effective participation to determine whether or not the United States are truly a democracy.