American Democracy in Peril by Hudson - Book Report/Review Example

? ANALYSIS/REACTION PAPER TO THE BOOK, "AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IN PERIL" of Abstract Democracy is a concept that is highly complicated. American society views democracy as a majority rule. However, they consider minority rights protection as a principal democracy component. They view freedom from interference by government important. In that case, individuals should be allowed to make decision in various aspects of their lives such as voting, making of public opinions, joining military among others. That is why participatory democracy should be practiced. Introduction It is true that American Democracy prospers when its citizens are responsive and informed. As a matter of fact, it is significant for students to be taught how the government functions and why it operates in various ways. Hudson (2006) represents adequate supplement for individuals who wish to bring forth an extensive critical approach on how the United States of American political system functions. He highlights the eight principal challenges that are experienced by the American population as the office is taken by a new president. The challenges cuts across the power of the judiciary system to the trade-offs between personal privacy and national security system. This has posed a great challenge for students to provide solutions to these challenges. However, Hudson provides solutions to the above named challenges. The compounded outcome is for the political system to come up with an effective conceptual framework that will help in evaluating the political system of the American. As such, the political system should be able to engineer a discussion and thinking that is analytical through public participation. Critique Hudson idea of involving the public in giving their opinions is supported by Crenson and Benjamin (2002) who are political scientists. According to these authors, United States Democracy is paralleling the global capital rise and employee agency downsizing. They illustrate a distinctive acknowledgement of the unconstructive citizens’ power entailments in the United States. Ordinary citizens over two centuries have been perceived significant as political actors. In that case, millions of them have loyally served as taxpayers, voters, citizen soldiers, citizen administrators and juries. All these groups are disparaged as investment employers. Thereby, making them the western state back-borne providing the state with coercive, extractive and administrative capabilities that have made the western state to be a superpower. Rather than the Western State building a harmonious community based on triumphant construction from ethnic and socio-economic difference, Crenson and Ginsberg conceives modern US democratic government as exchanging its services for gains. The gains are achieved via drawing individuals into the political arena. On the contrary, business just like the US democracy, are increasingly devising ways to conduct business in ways that do not depend on ordinary citizens who are overtly unpredictable. In the United States, both the republicans and the Democrats are vulnerable to such shifts. For example, Republicans endorsed a National Performance Reviewing which Citizens were redefined as “customers”. These redefinition viewed citizens as individual buyers who seek to meet needs that are private in the market segment thus contributing to a significant shift in political behavior. As noted by the authors, neither Bush nor Gore was interested in the support that was popular after the 2000 elections aftermath. Commentators viewed the lack of political mass action as an evidence of US democratic maturity. Nevertheless, Crenson and Ginsberg argues that, lack of mass political action was a result of citizens view that the political struggle that was being witnessed did not engage them. The experienced democratic participation decline came in time when numerous programs were designed to enhance democratic rationalization, access and efficiency of an individual. Ironically, these reforms effectiveness cumulatively turned against the citizens and citizenship power. Ginsberg and Crenson history of democratic participation decline began in the progressive age when reformers started eliminating incompetence and waste which formed a link between the political patrons and political parties. The outcome of these counter attacks was the opening up of regulatory agencies to the public domain facilitating citizen’s involvement in policy making. The participation of citizen’s in policy making helps in reducing collective mobilization value. In addition to that, regulation influence was done by law suits that were interested in public matters. As such, the power was transferred effectively from the public arena to the growing ranks and numbers of advocates. This made citizens to no longer give their opinions. This has resulted to individuals asking themselves numerous questions. For instance, “how can we make rulers take us seriously as citizens?” The challenges facing democracy is not because of citizens’ habits of relinquishing their citizenship, rather it is because of today’s political elites inadequate reason to popularly mobilize constituencies when they have the capability of accomplishing their goals via colonizing institutions and through courts that are found within and outside government jurisdiction(Crenson & Ginsberg, 2000). Reducing the opportunities available for leaders such as making of public policy through litigation and insisting on the reform on campaign finance will help in political reliance reanimating on citizenship modes that are publicly organized. The good citizen concept is critical to Developmental Democracy model. The concept of democratic citizenship is well embedded in the society of the Americans. The citizens are well informed on matters concerning the civic and government affairs. As such, they often vote regularly, present their issues on to their representatives, offers their service in public offices and regularly inform themselves on matters concerning the public. Public involvement in democracy is vital in improving the communities well being. However, their active involvement is always accompanied with benefits. For instance, they get educated; improve government capacity as well as theirs. If only political societies were organized in relation to the above model, then most governments could exhibit popular control. However, it is impossible for such a regime (political) to exist. This is because; most democracies do not allow active involvement of citizens in politics as they are viewed as uninformed and apathetic when it comes to politics. This has triggered the control of the government by the political elites, office holders, and party leaders and to some extent journalists. This has made citizens to be sidelined when it comes to policy making and opinion giving. Political elites need to inquire why numerous citizens’ are apathetic when it comes to political issues. According to pluralists, majority of citizens prefer to divert all their attention to their concerns that are private rather than participating in affairs that fulfill immediate interest of the people. For instance, in the 1960s, political theorists and political activists delved deeper in order to understand the assumption made by the pluralists. As such, they came up with participatory Democracy concept. According to this concept, apathy is triggered by lack of adequate opportunity to participate significantly rather than a human nature inherent fact. People have become more concerned with their private lives not because they like that, but because of the social institutions structure. Thus, individuals advocating for participatory democracy, observes that, the only solution to the citizen’s apathy is the social and political institution’s restructuring. Restructuring will help in educating citizens through political participation. The outcome will be acknowledging of the joys and values of democratic citizenship. Economic, social and political institutions restructuring need to be done to provide room for citizen’s participation in political issues. For instance, the white and black students’ activists of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee exercised participatory ideals through making efforts of registering black voters. In addition to that, civil rights battles provided an avenue for testing mass participation capacity in influencing public policy. This has lead to the criticism of the pluralist assumption of undermining and ignoring the effectiveness of democratic participation. Democratic participation is important to both governmental and non-governmental organizations. As such, in the modern societies that are industrialized, it is not the mandate of the governmental institutions to come up with authoritative decisions that must be adhered to by individuals or has the ability of applying sanction to individuals who go against the decisions. Individuals are always subjected to authoritative rules implemented by their schools, churches, unions and other institutions. The decisions made by these institutions have a great and immediate impact on the individual’s lives than policies made by the government. Employer made decision with regards to their working conditions, salary increment or layoffs often have adverse, immediate and devastating effects on the life of the employee. Non-governmental decisions are always made in an authoritarian and bureaucratic manner. There lacks the protection and procedure that is associated with democracy. According to the advocates of participatory democracy, absence of democracy in any institution whether political, social or economic, denies individuals opportunity to influence the nature of decisions made. For instance, students who are directed to comply with the authority often develop as ineffective democratic citizens. It is argued that, a society that does not add value to its democracy, is subjected to failure as most of its political and social decision lies on the hand of uncountable individuals. Thus, the only way to make individuals accountable democratically is by expanding participatory opportunities in the wider margins of the society. Individuals need to understand that, democracy is not a concept confined to the government. In that case, it should be implemented in all domains where decisions that are authoritative are made and impact on people’s lives. Both workers, students in various institutions and citizens in general should participate fully in running of their institutions and countries. It is only through active participation in these dimensions that individuals can gain the ability of influencing government decisions democratically. As such, creation of a democracy that is effective in our society the is not bureaucratized and industrialized needs a radical institutions restructuring whose main purpose is to increase the control of people over decisions that impact on their lives. Conclusion Participatory democracy is important to the growth and development of a country. Individuals need to be given the opportunity to give their opinions on matters concerning the public. Students should not be taught to obeys a system that is authoritarian rather be developed to become an instrument of change through airing their views and participating in decision making. In that case, a system that is liberal should be encouraged. Opportunities should be provided for individuals to participate in public issues rather than diverting their attention to private lives. The US democracy should pave way for students to file law suits against those professors who have the tendency of victimizing them when they do not agree with their politics. In addition to that, they should be given an opportunity to form organization movements that enable them to grow democratically. Individuals in non-governmental institutions should also be given the opportunity to participate in decision making as they affect their lives. Decision making through procedures that are bureaucratic should be eliminated completely. Involvement of citizens, students and workers in various unions can only be achieved via restructuring of the existing institutions. The institutions are such as political, economic and environmental institutions. These will help in promoting democratic participation. References Crenson, M., & Ginsberg, B. (2002). In Downsizing Democracy: How America sidelined its citizens and privatized its public. Durham: Duke. Hudson, W. E. (2006). American democracy in peril: Eight challenges to America's future. Washington, D.C: CQ Press. Read More