To conclude its national anthem, as the United States proclaims itself as the “land of the free,” our nation’s sentiment of liberty is not merely one to be sung by an audience of citizens, but rather a doctrine defining America’s society. Democracy is the foundational block that has uplifted this country and brought it rapid growth and success. Historically, the want for democracy and representation has driven revolutions to resolve the inequities of past governing practices. However, in reality, it has also been the cause of poor policy-making and ignorance for the people. The republic that is the United States of America has the potential to be one of the most well-governed countries in the world, yet, too often, its own democratic systems result in counterintuitive efforts that bring about its downfall. In the American representative democracy, citizens vote for representatives to make their voices heard during the policymaking process.1 However, while the system is good in theory, it does not materialize as such in actuality.
Recent policymaking has failed us. Policies toward resolving global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which killed at least 3 million people, were lacking and worsened the pandemic.2 Overall, the United States has had an underwhelming number of policies passed concerning affordable healthcare, public health, and infrastructure investments.3 The absence of effective policy-making toward pandemic response has resulted in over 70,000 deaths of U.S. residents and the deteriorating health of many individuals.4
There hasn’t just been a stall in policies passed within the last couple of years. Several issues have not been resolved despite decades of advocacy.56 Legislators have found themselves in a gridlock7 as conflicts between political parties result in policy paralysis, resulting in a decline in policymaking.8 Overwhelmingly popular issues that demand solutions (such as gun control, healthcare, and drug addiction) have seen little to no action within the legislature.9 The government lacks representation towards the issues voters want change for.
Additionally, concerns surrounding the electoral process create worry over the security of democracy. Factors such as ballot manipulation, political polarization, voter turnout, and more all contribute to the declining interest in democracy within the United States.10 States have been limiting voters’ access to the ballot through restrictive laws, curbing mail voting and ID registration voting.11 At least eleven states have been involved with unfair play (purposefully changing the ballot distribution) in the upcoming 2024 elections, shaping the downfall of democracy.12 As intervening actors attempt to change the results of the election, we lose our ability to represent the people and instead silence the voices of voters. Especially this year, governments have been doing as much as possible to interfere with the presidential election, such as increasing the maximum number of voters assigned to a polling place, therefore depressing voter turnout and burdening election officials.13
These factors have all left negative impacts on the electoral process. Voter turnout especially reveals the reluctance of voters to participate in a democracy, as the number of voters participating in U.S. elections lags behind many other countries.14 Though recent voting years have seen a slight surge in voter turnout, the overall trend of voting participation draws an increasingly bleak trail for the U.S. as fewer people choose to vote.15 Especially among the younger generations, this year, young adults are more likely to refrain from voting because of dissatisfaction with the presidential candidates.16 The exclusionary voting initiatives from state governments and the willing withdrawal from voting by the people expose the lack of representation in the upcoming elections. All these efforts are directly contradictory to democracy, silencing the voices of Americans and limiting their chances for true representation.
Slowly, America has begun to lose its reputation and status as a democracy, sliding into a government that is not as representative as it presents itself to be. Democracies are the best form of government because they can spotlight all voices, no matter what political ideologies they tend to skew towards; however, our democracy has begun to slip through the cracks, losing that sense of identity that defines the republic. Past political events, such as the January 6th capitol riot, in which the public protested the result of the 2020 election and made accusations of election fraud,17 exemplify the disrespect both the public and the government hold for democracy. Upholding democracy not only includes voter freedom and choice in their ballot but also respect for the outcome of any election.18 The downfall in our democratic voice has led us to stray from political freedoms and democracy.
Though our democracy today has developed into something distant from the idea itself, an alternative society uncorrupted by politics would be the best form of government a society may adopt.19 Governments that focus less on what each party wants and rather on what voters desire would lead to laws that represent the people, and not the politics. As governments develop laws and bills to protect and improve the lives of the people, it only makes sense that the people have a say in what laws should or shouldn’t be adopted. The laws that people in power create should be made from the people, for the people, and with the people. Adopting policies to increase voter transparency, mitigating political polarization, and building pro-democracy movements through local action could all be potential solutions to encourage the spread of democracy in the nation. As an increased number of people participate in policy-making via representation, our democracy increases in strength and we can see more effective laws passed.
