Has democracy failed in America?

Question

When our forefathers drafted the Constitution, the fundamental concept was to ensure equality for all and to structure a government "Of the people, by the people, and for the people." Today, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and the middle class will soon vanish. We have a two-party political system where only the wealthy can afford to run for office. Our liberties are shrinking; the government meddles with ever part of our lives; and our voices are not being heard. What steps can we take to breathe life back into the Constitution and restore equality and freedom for all?

Answer 1

I couldn't agree with you more. It doesn't look good for our Constitution, as long as rights and lefts can find nothing more productive to do than point at eachother, I fear it will only get worse. Sad how the only time Americans unite is when as a nation we are under attack.

Answer 2

Democracy is a wondrfull thing and it is not the application of democracy that has failed .
It is the Idea that the majority get to make the rules .We have way to many laws and this has ruined democracy .If as we have today republicans in charge they apply their own brand of legislation in the belief that they are enacting laws the majority want .Right or wrong these laws are passed and only challenged later in the courts .If the majority of people want to end social programs does that mean we should .DO we have the right to raise property taxes that force people from homes they have lived in for 40 years or homes they bought 15 years ago to retire in .
Forget they can sell the home and move and recieve a substancial profit .What if they want to stay because they like where they live. Many of our older americans are being forced from the homes they own by rising property taxes .The majority is often wrong and this is the problem with our system .
We run right over the minority people and they fail to get representation .

Answer 3

America is a republic not a democracy. A republic has a constitution that protects the rights of the minority. However a democracy allows for tyranny by the majority over the minority.

As Benjamin Franklin walked out of the Constitutional Convention, a woman asked, “What have you wrought?” He said, “A Republic, if you can keep it.

Answer 4

You position is exactly the result of generation after generation of socialism. The rich have the right to get richer because we are a free society. Liberals like you have been stealing their income in the form of taxes for decades. It is their money and they have a right to it. It does not belong to the government.

The poor get poorer because they continue to do the things that made them poor: poor money management, blaming others for problems, having kids out of wedlock, being criminals, etc.

The middle class is vanishing for a few reasons.

1. Jobs are moving overseas because of the crippling tax system in America. Companies must move to China and India to be competitive. Liberals never blame their tax policies for causing the problems they claim need to be fixed.

2. People have pathetic money management skills. They charge things that they do not need on credit cards. They do not live on a budget. The list goes on. People who have poor money management skills do not understand the difference between needs and wants. I want a nice tv, but I do not need one.

3. Once again, taxes are the problem. The more you make, the more you get taxed. 33% of this country does not pay federal income taxes. The top 50% pay 96% of the federal taxes. The top 10% pay 33% of the taxes. Is this fair? Why is it that because I make more money that most, the government thinks it has the right to take it.

You also have no idea what liberties are. We only have the freedoms we fight to keep. You are not entitled to any rights. You have them because millions of soliders died defending them.

We have a right to freedom of opportunity, not outcome. Everyone has a chance to make it here. Most do not because they wait for someone else to give it to them. People like me take life by the horns and makes my success. I then have to put up with listening to people whine because they do not like what their life is. Too bad. Earn it and it is yours. We have endless opportunity out there if we will only take advantage of it.

Answer 5

The problem with democracy today is that we have all let the extremes define our politics while the biggest evil of all takes control. The true power lies with the corporations and they have no soul—they are the true devils in today’s society. Corporations have no responsibility to their country, community, stock holders, employees or customers. They have become self sustaining monoliths that are driven by ambitious executives driven by greed. The corporations have all of the rights of individuals with none of the responsibilities. They pull the strings and the politicians dance. In the process the puppet-kooks have become the spokespersons that keep the citizens dancing while Rome burns.

Answer 6

Don't believe all of the liberal hype. The vast majority of the poor are welfare slackers. If you are able-bodied yet choose to survive off of your fellow citizens instead of contributing to society, then I really don't care if you have to live in a cardboard box under the train tracks. Be poor. You deserve it.

The "poor" people in our country live better than the middle-class in Europe. They have TV, cable, video games, heat, air conditioning, they get manicures and hair extensions, they buy trendy clothes. Not all of our poor live like that, but even those that do are still considered to be "poor."

The middle class is not disappearing. They are thriving. All you have to do is work hard. If your hard work isn't appreciated by your current employer, get a new job.

I will agree that the amount of money required to run for office is disgusting. If you aren't rich, you must take campaign donations from people and then be indebted to them instead of all of those that voted for you. That needs to change.

How about no more commercials anymore? No posters, no flyers, no phone calls, no mailings. Just have one TV appearance a few weeks before the election. Each candidate gets 30 minutes to give a speech. No mud slinging, no questions, no comments directed at the other candidate. I am so sick and tired of the mud-slinging commercials. Does anyone pay any attention anymore?

Answer 7

I do not be live for a minute that democracy failed, I think the people of the USA have failed they have failed to vote in the right people to represent us, and they have failed to speak out on issue's we know are wrong for this country. it seems each and every one of us thinks let some one else do it, and we should all speak out about the unfair way are country is being run and do so by voting in the ones you think will change things,and impeaching at least two that are doing the most to harm us.

Answer 8

Two steps we can take immediately:

1) Licensure for voting. College graduates (excluding Bible Colleges) automatically get licenses to vote. Anything less requires a written test to gauge their familiarity with important economic, political and social concepts.

2) Increase the size of the United States House of Representatives to reflect our increased population. 435 House members isn't enough.

BTW: justcommonsense's post conveniently left out another interesting fact. The Bush areas are net tax receivers (they receive more than they pay in taxes) and the Gore areas are net tax payers (they pay more than they receive). Gore's Blue states keep the Red states afloat at the government trough. So much for the Red States paying their fair share!

Answer 9

I am on my way in a successful career and can see myself being wealthy in the not too distant future. I am not from a wealthy family. So, what are you talking about?

I would love a third party to emerge to get America restored to it's former glory.

Answer 10

if liberals have their way, democracy will fail in America. Thanks to the flaming liberals in America, the government is able to take over our lives more and more and suppress our rights. It makes me sick. i wasnt allowed to mention how my religion influenced my life in a school sppeech. talk about not having the freedom of speech. Thank god Bush won and not Gore or America would be in far worse shape. I love this country and I wish that liberals would stop trying to take away what makes it so great.