September 22, 2007 (1-3)

September 22, 2007 (1-3)

Compare and contrast the form of democracy practiced in America to communism in Russia during the Cold War period.

There are so many different kinds of Government in the world; past, present, and most likely future. However we have found that what works for one country does not always work for another. every kind of government has flaws, we just have to work them all out to become a better country. During the Cold War, America and Russia tried out two different forms of government, Democracy and
Communism.

During the communism, Russia operated under Communism. "Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. It is usually considered a branch of the broader socialist movement that draws on the various political and intellectual movements that trace their origins back to the work of Karl Marx."(Wikipedia)

There are many different forms of Democracy. A Representative Democracy is mostly utilized in America, past and present. ""The American idea of democracy, which is expressed in the Declaration of Independence and embodied in various provisions of the Constitution, is that government is instituted to secure the rights of all." (Berns 117)

“Democracy in America is based on six essential ideals: (1) People must accept the principle of majority rule, (2) The political rights of minorities must be protected, (3) Citizens must agree to a system of rule by law, (4) The free exchange of opinions and ideas must not be restricted, (5) All citizens must be equal before the law, and (6) Government exists to serve the people, because it derives its power from the people. These ideals form the basis of the democratic system in the United States, which seeks to create a union of diverse peoples, places, and interests.” (Dunn 164)

Personally, i like the representative form of government best, it makes the most sense to me. The idea of a classless society could almost never work, in my opinion. that would require everyone to stop judging others, forget about jealousy, give to people that have less, stop being prideful, treat everyone as you want to be treated, and learn to only take what you need. Honestly, that will probably happen in heaven, but couldn't operate in a society full of sinful people like ourselves.

There are many forms of government and everyone is entitled to their opinion of which is best. I like the idea of a representative democracy, but others could like communism as well. In fact, I'm sure that dictators are rather liked having a dictatorship. however people and leaders are different in every country and the government, therefore, should be different too.

Berns, Walter. Securing Democracy. Delaware: ISI Books, 2001.

Dunn, John. Democracy: A History. Great Britain: Atlantic Books, 2005.

September 15, 2007 (1-2)

Which person do you think is most responsible for the form of government that America now enjoys? (There are several possibilities to answer this question, so support your answer well with solid sourcing.)

Throughout our nations great history, there have been many people who have influenced our government. We are fortunate enough to have a history full of some of the most amazing and brilliant people this world has ever seen. And we are a fairly new country, compared to most! Not only were there individuals who had huge effects on us, but groups of people and written documents and events also have this huge effect. Although some influence in such a way most people consider good, some have influenced us in a bad way. However there are more astounding minds to sort through what affects our great nation positively and what affects it negatively.

So many people have influenced our history in a positive way, and are therefore largely responsible for our current form of government. There was John Hancock, who was the president of the Second Continental Congress. He was in charge of our first government and therefore made some of the first decisions for our country. That which affects our past will definitely affect our future. There was also John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington. However, looking more deeply at it, i realized that i believed the best choice to be Thomas Jefferson.

"Thomas Jefferson was born on 13 April 1743 into a family closely related to some of the most prominent individuals in Virginia, the third of eight children."(Wikipedia) He was very rich growing up. When he was only 14, his father died leaving him 5,000 acres and dozens of slaves. He built his house on this land and it became known as Monticello. In fact, Monticello is depicted on the back of the U.S. nickel and the old two-dollar bill. Jefferson was largely a part of the Second Continental Congress. In fact, in June of 1776, "The Committee of Five" was chosen to write a very important document. This document became known as the The Declaration of Independence. Th "DOI" was written almost entirely by Jefferson. This was not, as i I regrettably first thought, because the other four got lazy and let him do all the work. Nor was it because the rest of them weren't as smart, they were in fact all brilliant men. However, it was mostly his work because he was chosen as the best writer in the group and readers might think the works of others to be biased. Jefferson wrote the first draft of the declaration but it needed many changes. He fixed these changes and the second and final draft was presented to congress. It was finally adopted and signed on July 4, 1776.

Later, in 1801, Jefferson was made to be the 3rd President of the United States. While he was president, many famous events happened. The most famous of which are the Louisiana Purchase and the Louis and Clark expedition. He served for 8 years, until 1809. He was also our first Secretary of State and our Second Vice President.

As you can see, this man was very important to our history. I strongly believe that without him, we would not enjoy the government we do today. He was a great leader and an amazing president. We should all be able to learn from his wonderful example.

Beilenson,Nick. Thomas Jefferson:His Words and Vision. Peter Pauper,Inc: 1998

Holmes,Jerry. Thomas Jefferson:A Chronology of HIs Thoughts. Rowman and Littlefield: United States, 2002

Why Did America End Up with a Representative Democracy Rather than a Pure Democracy?

Well, I believe that the reason that America has a Representative Democracy rather than a Pure Democracy is actually quite simple. However, first we must look at these terms and find out what they mean. Once this is cleared up, we will not only see that there are multiple reasons, but that they are quite obvious. First, democracy.

Democracy is a form of government where the people are sovereign, and majority rules with respect to minority rights. The first evidence we have of anything like a democracy came from Athens. It was very similar, but not as advanced as of course it is today. (Dunn) "The fundamental features of democracies include government based on majority rule and the consent of the governed, the existence of free and fair elections, the protection of political minorities, respect for basic human rights, equality before the law, due process, and political pluralism. With origins in ancient Greece, Rome, south Asia, and North and South America democracy has generally grown and expanded throughout history. The principles of democracy emphasize the importance of the individual in the context of government and, today, are a major influence around the world. Though the term democracy is typically used in the context of a political state, the principles are also applicable to other groups and organizations." (Wikipedia)

A pure democracy is more commonly known as a direct democracy. In this, every single person who chooses to participate in taking part in the process of making decisions has a say. You only need to be a citizen. I believe that this way can almost solely lead to chaos and confusion. Perhaps for a while it will be very successful and will work out very nicely. however, in the long run, you cannot have each person vote for every decision. That is why we did not choose a Direct, or pure, democracy.

"With so large of a body of people who have the right as we have in the United States today, direct government (Pure Democracy) is out of the question."(Hughes,425)

Instead we ended up with what is known as a representative democracy. The name basically speaks for itself, the people choose a leader based on popular vote and they make the majority of the decisions, definitely all the smaller ones, but also many big ones. The people are still sovereign however and the ultimate decisions lie with them, however we also chose the person, and in most cases people, that we think will make the right decision and the one we would choose ourselves.

I believe that this form of government was the best choice for America. I definitely think that it we made the right decision. The people are sovereign yet we don't have chaos by voting for every little detail. It is also good that we make the decision of who we want making decisions for us. that is the one detail everyone in America votes for, if they are old enough and want to. Soon i will be eighteen and i am delighted to say I will do my best that the person who represents America for the next four years will be someone who not only represents America, but represents me.

Dunn, John. Democracy: A History. Great Britain: Atlantic Books, 2005.

Hughes,O. Ray. Problems of America Democracy. Allyn and Bacon: United States, 1922