Democracy in America - Case Study Example

DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA Democracy in America Democracy is the right of people to express their views and select a person to administer them in a fair and structured way. The importance of democracy is that it removes the element of manipulation and dictatorship. United States of America is the world’s most powerful democratic nation. However, like any other country American democratic system also has flaws in it that need to be discussed and resolved. Challenges to American democracy American democracy is facing a lot of challenges such as radical individualism, trivialized elections and inequality, but the most prominent threat is of national security system. After the 9/11 attack, a threat of terrorism has spread over the nation of United States. After 9/11 president bush made drastic decision of starting a highly controversial war against terrorism of which half the American population is doubtful. According to a survey Kenneth Janda, Jeffrey M. Berry, Jerry Goldman (2008) 54% of the American population did not supported the war on Iraq and American government is facing a challenge of lack of confidence by the citizens. A survey showed that American citizen’s trust has fallen from the government in recent years. Now it is up to the newly elected president Barrack Obama to regain the trust of citizens of America as well as take the war against terrorism in the right direction. However, the civic values that enables the citizens of America to express their views so openly and to be able to criticize their government on what they feel is wrong is a great source of satisfaction for them. It is the power of democracy that such surveys are held so openly and problems are discussed freely that makes us appreciate our constitution. This power is a great asset for American citizens and it rules over all the conflicting issues. American constitution American constitution is supreme law of United States, it has been amended 27 times and the first ten amendments are called ‘bills of rights. Out of these 27 amendments, the first amendment is most powerful and influential Angela Roddey Holder (1997). It gives the right of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly and freedom of petition. This is also the backbone of American constitution as well as most liked amendment as it provides the freedom and security to people to raise their voice and make their problems heard. However, excess of something is also not good as sometimes too much freedom can also create problems just like the second amendment that allows the citizens to carry firearms. This is a major threat as the weapons of destruction are handed over to people of excess temper and violent nature and it is the cause of many house hold violence activities. Also, instead of making the society more secure it puts more danger on it. This is in fact the amendment I would like to change and will make sure that only officers and security guards are provided with such weapons. Civil rights The civil right most dear to me is the right of speech Angela Roddey Holder (1997). The knowledge that my voice will be heard gives me immense satisfaction and pleasure and makes me feel worthwhile as if I have a say in this world. The ability to criticize and complain gives me a sense of power and importance. The notion that I can make a difference helps me survive the tough times. The least preferable civil right according to me is the right to possess firearms. I personally find this more of a hazard rather then blessing, considering no good has come from violence. I also believe that people should be given right to decline war. The unnecessary war on Iraq has made me realized that a lot of our hard earned money is wasted on weapons of mass destruction and so many of our young men lives have been ruined in this war. A voting system should be conducted to determine the support for war and then the decision should be made. Electoral College Because of the recent debacle of bush and gore fiasco, Electoral College has once again come under the critical evaluation. The consequences of it have been faced by not only American nation but the whole world. At the time it was made, it was completely understood that people have lack of awareness because of the limited sources of media; therefore they won’t be able to select the best candidate. Thus, the Electoral College came into being Michael Burgan (2007). However, in recent times where media has made its mark in every household and a single incident is covered by media in the shortest span of time, it is ridiculous to think that people will remain unaware of the candidates. This effects the political participation of the country which is very essential for the government as it determines the level of trust citizens have on the voting system. Studies have shown that voting participation is decreasing constantly and is now up to 27%. The political participation is necessary to determine public’s will and direction Adam J. Berinsky (1970). It also determines the faith of people on the candidates that they will get some benefit out of them. In order to gain more participation, popular votes should be considered rather than Electoral College so that public’s faith over voting system re-develops and their interest in political matters increases. So that instead of being confused as to why the most voted candidate Gore wasn’t selected they would have faith that the candidate of their preference would be selected. Otherwise, the lack of interest will eliminate the concept of social welfare and people will feel manipulated and cheated. Congressional structure Formation of American law has a very complicated procedure. The bill primarily comes from a member of congress itself. Then it is subjected to various procedures. For instance if a member of congress wants to propose a bill for corporate sector, the proposed bill will be discussed by the industrial committee. The member who has proposed the law will become the primary sponsor and will require a co-sponsor to back him up. Then the committee will debate over it and will ask various experts to give their views. Then the bill will go to a sub-committee for amendments, which will again pass the bill to the committee after thoroughly going over it. Now the subcommittee will have the option to either pass the bill as it, or make amendments in it, and it can table (kill) it as well. Then, the committee will vote over bill and if they also clear it out then it will go to the House of Representatives, where it will be read aloud and all members will debate over it. Each party will be given a specific amount of time to accept or oppose the bill and then voting will take place. If the bill is passed then it will be sent to senate committee which again will have debates over it and the senators will be asked to vote that also have the liberty to favor, oppose or make amendments in the bill. After the bill is passed by them it will again be sent to the House of Representatives who will again take a vote on it. If they pass the bill then it will be directly sent to the president, however if the bill is controversial or if senate and House of Representatives have conflict over it then will be sent to a conference committee. The conference committee will have to come up with a decision otherwise another conference committee will be formed and bill will be sent to it. This process will keep on repeating until the committee comes to a decision. Then it will be finally sent to the president. But the procedure is not completed yet. If the president signs the bill it will become a law but if he vetoes it then it will be sent to both the houses and it will be required from each house to pass the bill with two-third majority to convert it into a law otherwise it will be terminated. If both houses pass the bill with two-third majority, then even with the president’s objections it will still be converted into law Michael Foley, John E. Owens (1996). Assuming, a congressman proposes a bill for ban on weapons, the bill will be circulated so much and so many amendments will be made in it that it will lose its essence and will be baseless to pass. Conflict of interest will occur on every level, from member raising the issue of personal safety to the level of tax payed by weapon industry. The aim of the bill will be lost among the debates and in the meantime many weapons will me made and distribute and many people will die. Strengths and weaknesses of congressional structure Congressional structure is quite orderly and well planned and doesn’t leave a chance for mistake. The committee member and senate demand various experts to testify and have serious debates over the pros and cons of the bill. The process goes into so much depth that it doesn’t leave a doubt in anyone’s mind. However, the structure is too complex and it prolongs the decision making as much as it can. The bill is sent and resent to houses and gets so many amendments that in the end it is hard to recognize that whether it was the same bill or not. With such prolong discussion; the bill loses its essence and spirit. Presidential roles President of the United States is the most powerful man of the country, having the legislative, executive and administrative powers. Among these roles, the executive power and administrative power are of most importance. Executive role gives the president title of being commander in chief of army and gives liberty to start a war and to control foreign affairs. This not only makes him the most powerful man of America but also of the world. Administrative role gives the tile of chief executive to the president. This power enables him to make all the decisions and to assign ambassadors, members of cabinet and federal officers by his own will Congressional Quarterly, inc (1997). Thus, these two powers make him in charge of internal as well as external affairs. The least important power is of legislative power. President only has the option to veto the bill and even if a bill is vetoed by him, it can still be passed as a law by the consent of both houses of congress. Therefore, the power is considered incomplete. President should be given the power to make the final call on bill as he is supposed to be the most capable person to make a decision. The power to terminate a bill should be in his hand as he should be given the authority to make the final decision. Bureaucratic influence on Americans American bureaucracy is comprised of multitude of divisions, staff and branches and is organized to deal with general areas of public concern such as education, health and defense Michael E. Milakovich, George J. Gordon (2007). The proposals presented to bureaucracy are dealt in a structured manner by the experts and are moved up in hierarchical ladder. Bureaucracy has an influence over every aspect of American life whether it’s of security or of postal service. The problem associated with bureaucracy is of inefficiency and unpredictability. The complex paper work and wastage of time in determining solutions in fact prolonging it makes it difficult for a common citizen to approach it. The unpredictability of its decisions also creates confusion among the citizens. For instance, one bureaucracy send the child to a foster home because of the domestic violence, other sends him back home and his father to a anger management class. The conflicting decision making creates many problems in citizen’s life. Judicial system The judiciary system of America is selected by the president of United States, on the bases of their experience, intellect and credibility. This is a proper way as the general public has little or no knowledge about the judge’s capabilities and therefore cannot distinguish between the candidates. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the president and senate to select the most credible and knowledgeable person. Conclusion American democracy is comprised of a complex structure and various elements; however some of these elements are irrelevant and unnecessary. The threat of terrorism and lack of trust of American citizens on their government are few of the problems it is facing. The fading trust is due to the complex congressional structure and unrequited bureaucracy that highly influences the American government. Also the inability of citizens to select the president also puts lack of faith in their minds about the government. In order to regain the trust in the minds of the citizens, the concept of Electoral College should be eliminated, the procedure of formation of law should be reevaluated and the influence of bureaucracy be minimized. REFERENCES Adam J. Berinsky. (1970). Silent voices: public opinion and political participation in America. Angela Roddey Holder. (1997). The meaning of the constitution Kenneth Janda, Jeffrey M. Berry, Jerry Goldman. (2008). The challenge of democracy. Michael Burgan. (2007). The Electoral College. Congressional Quarterly, inc. (1997). Powers of presidency. Michael E. Milakovich, George J. Gordon. (2007). Public administration in America. Michael Foley, John E. Owens. (1996). Congress and the presidency: institutional politics in a separated system. Read More