Essay On American Democracy

A democracy is not just a government. It is not merely a system that governs a society, nor is it simply a group of people elected to respond to citizens. Rather, a democracy is a way of living. It is a responsibility that must be observed by both the rulers and the ruled, who are not only united by social contract, but have also pledged to maintain an equitable balance of power. The term "democracy" is derived from two Greek words: "demos" (people) and "kratia" (authority); thus, a democracy is a social system wholly dependent upon the power of the people (Ober). In the American democracy, voters presumably have the authority to select any candidate they choose for office. However, U.S. citizens are prohibited from doing this. In fact, this fundamental right is substantially curtailed in the nation’s most significant election: the U.S. Presidential race. As the U.S. Constitution …show more content…
The provision prevents over 19.3 million American citizens (Zong and Batalova), 700 Medal of Honor winners (Haddock), and 62 former U.S senators from enjoying the same opportunities as their natural born counterparts (senate.gov). By the same token, a citizen who is born abroad to foreign parents but nurtured in the U.S. from infancy will never be eligible for President, while a natural born citizen who is raised overseas will still maintain the opportunity to run for the position. The requirement unreasonably assumes that an individual’s citizenship status at birth is a proxy for loyalty and even jeopardizes the prosperity of the nation by excluding potentially more qualified candidates. As a democracy built upon the grounds that “all men are created equal,” the future prospects of any U.S. citizen should not be predetermined by the uncontrollable circumstances of his