Democracy's Intricacies

As Americans, we hold value over our democratic traditions, but how far does that value extend? Roberts-Miller writes a detailed article discussing democracy’s intricacies and how demagoguery holds an immense impact on democracy. She begins by claiming that an effective democracy requires its constituents to engage in thorough and intelligent deliberation and discussion of the problems in that democracy, thus creating possible pathways towards solutions (Roberts-Miller 459). Behind this claim is her premise that her readers reside in a democratic society, and that they engage in discourse about the issues relevant to their nation’s common good. Roberts-Miller thoroughly describes the characteristics of demagoguery alongside prominent examples of demagogues and their actions throughout history, while all together tying them to her overall claim. Roberts-Miller defines a demagogue as someone who “seeks to influence public opinion by employing the traditional tools of rhetoric with complete indifference to the …show more content…
Though some believe that Hillary lacks Trump’s captivating demeanor, several of her claims hold true to Roberts-Miller’s demagogue definition. Shortly before the democratic party convention, thousands of emails were released onto Wikileaks, highlighting the DNC and Debbie Wasserman Schultz colluding to rig the presidential nomination in favor of Hillary Clinton. To deflect the controversy away from her, Hillary blamed Russia for the hack and scorned Donald Trump for encouraging Russia to subvert her campaign. As a result, the media followed suit in investigating Russia’s alluded responsibility in the leaks. The Wall Street Journal was one such media outlet which helped spin this story, citing Hillary’s campaign manager who repeated Hillary’s claim that Trump and Russia are to blame for the hacks (Meckler, Wall Street