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The Political System Of Democracy Essay

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We the people. The three words that make up the political system of Democracy that has existed since the days of ancient Greece. When applied to the United States of America, two forms of Democracy are presented that clash together in their principles. This is of course, Elite Democracy and Popular Democracy. Through the analysis of the process of the Electoral College, the actions of politically charged people, and various reforms throughout history, we can see how Popular Democracy pales in comparison to the superior philosophy of Elite Democracy. Before we start looking at these subjects, we will build an extended definition around both systems to lay a foundation of each one’s beliefs.
Defining Popular and Elite Democracy
The debate surrounding both Popular Democracy and Elite Democracy is interesting because they are essentially two sides of the same coin. Popular Democracy is centered around the ideology of “The People’s Rule”. This ideology refers to the belief that citizens should be involved as much as possible when the government makes decisions that affect their lives. On the other hand, Elite Democracy’s viewpoint is based around the idea of people voting for elected officials that rule as they see fit (Miroff 12). These two different outlooks displayed by both Popular and Elite Democracy were formed through six primary debates in which they differ. Elite and Popular Democracy can be condensed into six central points: Trust in the people, Human nature,

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