Oligarchy And Democracy: Is America A True Democracy?

Based on Aristotle’s definitions of Oligarchy and Democracy, can America be considered a true democracy? Aristotle points out several forms of government throughout his “Democracy and Oligarchy”. In this work, Aristotle focuses primarily on democracy and oligarchy and makes a strong effort through the use of definitions to distinguish between the many instances these two forms of government are able to exist in and the differences between the them. Using Aristotle’s definitions, let us diagnose America and see if she can rightfully claim democracy, first by explaining what the two types of government consist of and then by picking through a few characteristics of America. “Democracy is the form of government in which the free are rulers” …show more content…
While she claims to hold the belief that all men are equal, this idea is not so true in Thomas Jefferson 's Declaration of Independence because slaves, Native Americans, and even certain immigrants, were not treated equally or given the same rights as the white man. Since, the country was not founded with a true conception of equality, it can be argued that America’s form of democracy appears to be more similar to the fifth form of democracy. Also, while the free men of America have some say in the government’s decisions, the media has made politics into more of a popularity contest than a true battle for what is best for the country and has led to two opposing sides claiming that they know what is best for Americans. Therefore, it looks as if the media, rather than the free and equal men of America, has control over the government. It can also be argued that much like an oligarchy, the few rich men in America appear to have a tight grip on the political races and therefore, rather than majority ruling, those with heavy money bags and public pleasing faces, have a stronger