The 's Criteria Of Voting Equality And Effective Participation

There is no doubt that the United States of America is a democracy, but how democratic are some of the components of our system of government? For example, the Electoral College is used when selecting the president of The United States, but the founders developed the Electoral College based on a theory of how it should work with no practical, real-world example of how it realistically works. Based on the three core principles of democracy which are popular sovereignty, political equality, and political freedom, the Electoral College falls short when assessed using these democratic values.

In our system of government we are privileged with the option to take part in the political process that runs the country. It is our right to vote that lets the people influence change in policy and set the guidelines that politicians must follow to be elected representatives. This precious ability, which is most coveted in most non-democratic countries, is taken for granted in our own.

In the election process, every citizen must be guaranteed a right to vote, one vote per person, no matter what income status, background, or state you reside in. No limitations must be placed on any individuals in order to allow everyone an effective opportunity to vote. In order to assure that everyone has the freedom to oppose certain individuals, frequent, fair, and free elections must be held. The first indicator I will be analyzing is limitations placed on the ability of individuals to participate within the U.S elections. The U.S organization demo’s states that the voter turnout rate for those who earn an income of less than $10,000 a year is 42.3% compared to that of 78.1% for those whose income is over $150,000 a year (2008). Overall, voter turnouts in the U.S on average are exceptionally lower than those of other democracies. As Michael McGrath (2015) points out “during the 2010 elections…only 41% of the voting age population within the U.S turned out at the polls… [compared to] other countries [where] it is not unusual for turnouts to be as high as 80%” (p.38). Additionally, amongst the 41% is an inaccurate sample which embellishes the size of some groups and underrepresents others (McGrath, 2015).These large discrepancy are a result of

Collective suffrage is today considered an essential ingredient of democratic rule. But what about collective participation? Should the right to vote be accompanied with a legal duty to exercise it to guarantee this goal? Although voting is often said to be a norm of society in many places, many countries have failed to make it a priority and then wonder why the many different groups are not properly accounted for. If compulsory voting were to be established levels of voting would increase significantly which would most likely improve the validity of representation in government. Governments elected by only a small percentage of U.S citizens are unrepresentative of the population, and consequently may not be perceived as legitimate. The

Dahl illustrates this by making reference to George Bush Jr. winning the presidential election in 2000, when Al Gore held the popular vote. Further, the Constitution has no solid basis of democracy to which other developed and enlightened democracies such as Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom to which all have democratic constitutions and to which have been steadily democratic since 1950. P.186 Instead, Dahl discusses the American system has a hybrid of democracy. In essence, Dahl argues that the Constitution is incapable of delivering democracy to the American people in the modern world, since the framers limited the powers of congress in many matters that would in time become more prudent. Dahl observes democracy changing over time and that the U.S. Constitution is ill equipped to meet the changes needed.

Perrin defines democracy as, “the back- and- forth interactions among citizens and institutions of government, structured through rules, ideas, and technologies”. In the prominent book, American Democracy, sociological professor Andrew J Perrin analyzes the current discussions and concerns about the core of American Democracy. Perrin studies and teaches democratic citizenship in the United States and focuses on what people should know and do in order to make democracy work. The main purpose of the book is to show that democracy along with representation are first social and cultural concepts, then they are political ones. This book is vastly significant because it demonstrates an ingenious approach to democracy and the role that the citizens should have.

Is American democracy working? The fact is, we have failed to hold politicians accountable for their failures in accurately and justly representing the American people. Besides, there is a complete

Since the creation of the United States of America, providing freedom and opportunity has shown to be the most essential factor that makes the country a desirable place to call home. However, certain rights have not been preserved for every citizen in society. In the aftermath of the recent presidential election, the citizens of this country are beginning to realize the importance of voicing their opinion and exercising the right to vote. Unfortunately, this country has yet to fully provide equal opportunity for the people it vowed to protect, especially when it comes to voting. Voting rights are still clearly under attack in our country and intentionally impact those who are of color and/or who are disadvantaged as well as women and those

I will assess whether the United States satisfies the democratic criteria of voting equality and enlightened understanding. For the criterion of voting equality to be met, members of a country must have equal and fair opportunity to vote, and all votes must be equal in weight (Dahl, 1989). To assess this criterion, I will look at American voter turnout rates, voting requirements, and restrictions. These indicators will show whether or not citizens truly have an equal and fair opportunity to vote. The fulfillment of enlightened understanding ensures that members have equal opportunities to learn about policies and what they entail (Dahl, 1989). In order to assess this criterion, I will

Since the creation of the United States of America, providing freedom and opportunity has shown to be the most essential factor that makes the country a desirable place to call home. However, certain rights have not been preserved for every citizen in society. In the aftermath of the recent presidential election, the citizens of this country are beginning to realize the importance of voicing their opinion and exercising the right to vote. Unfortunately, this country has yet to fully provide equal opportunity for the people it vowed to protect, especially when it comes to voting. Voting rights are still clearly under attack in our country and intentionally impact those who are of color and/or who are disadvantaged as well as women and those with disabilities.

The political attitudes highlight why the poor are more likely to vote than the wealthy. While there is an increased point spread from political accountability, the results are not statistically significant. However, the results for political equality have a point spread of positive twelve and are statistically significant. Compared to the wealthy urbanites, the rural poor population is more likely to want political equality. The only way political equality will be obtained is through voting and participating in the democratic process, thus voting.

However, ‘one of the main ways individuals express their acceptance or rejection of the state is through the ballot box.’ Elections ‘provide a means for people to question and reflect on this or that government policy, the adequacy of this or that government agency, or the talents and policies of this or that party, candidate or official.’ ‘Today we would see free and fair democratic elections as the main, if not the only, reasonable indicator of whether people have given ‘express consent’ to those who hold state-derived power over them.’

The American electoral institution set a precedent for a majority of the world’s modern democracies; that being said, most people on either side of the Atlantic fail to realize just how outdated America’s political structures are. Our majoritarian presidential system is defined by its inherently antagonistic nature, in which a winner-takes-all to result in a zero-sum game. Most European countries have undergone significant political changes in the past hundred years in response to interstate wars, acting as a means of prevention from authoritarian regimes. The United States, on the other hand, has not strayed far from its foundation that was instituted over two centuries ago. As many of these progressive democracies have shifted to a proportionally

The question of what is considered a democracy is one which many people have struggled to answer for centuries. Answers might vary from having all civil liberties to a model in which every person’s rights is protected and independent to a model that ensures equality. McKinnon (2012), believes that “Democracy refers generally to a method group decision-making that is characterised by a kind of equality among the participants at an essential age." Does the world have a democratic government that encompasses all of those answers? no. However, they all share one principle; the right to vote (choose a government). But an element of that answer contradicts the notion that a right to vote would lead to a government “by the people”. This essay will aim to illustrate how giving people a vote does not mean that a state would have a government “by the people” by analysing the problem in three areas: majority, minority and real-world statistical representation.

one essential conviction, expressed in the word democracy itself: that power should be in the hands of the people. Although democracy today has been slightly inefficient in this idea, with the wealthy, elite class challenging this right, “it nevertheless claims for itself a fundamental validity that no other kind of society shares….” To completely understand the structure of democracy, one must return to the roots of the practice itself, and examine the origins in ancient Greece, the expansion in the Roman Empire, and how these practices combined make what we recognize as today’s democratic government.