On page 19, the authors describe a series of values that a society must hold in order to maintain a stable and functioning democracy. Among these values are the belief in the legitimacy of democracy itself, tolerance for opposing views, compromise on policy, moderation in political positions, and civility of discourse. All of these values contribute to reducing political strife and stagnation. If all sides are standing firm in their positions without considering or tolerating the opposing side, then a functional government is impossible. Democracy in a strict definition may exist, but it isn’t conducive to a stable government.
When these values are compared to the current state of American politics, it seems as though the American democratic system is becoming increasingly less stable and functional. While there may not be much movement in the political realm on whether …show more content…
Will we ever see a total breakdown of our democracy? It’s hard to determine the answer to these questions given the information provided by the authors about the factors that go into democratic legitimacy. For starters, there still seems to be a strong resolve in America to recognize the legitimacy of democracy as a whole. There are growing strains of anarchists in the country, but they seem to be a vocal minority. Secondly, as mentioned on page 10, the authors note that a factor in preserving democracy is the hope to remove those in power and change policies through elections. This aspect seems to hold strong in America, especially in regard to presidential elections. While incumbents in Congress have relatively low turnover, it is not impossible to achieve change, as exemplified by the rise of the Tea Party and the flip in the House in 2010 to Republicans. Overall, while there might be reasons for concern, it doesn’t seem as though democratic legitimacy is under threat as a whole currently in
When these values are compared to the current state of American politics, it seems as though the American democratic system is becoming increasingly less stable and functional. While there may not be much movement in the political realm on whether …show more content…
Will we ever see a total breakdown of our democracy? It’s hard to determine the answer to these questions given the information provided by the authors about the factors that go into democratic legitimacy. For starters, there still seems to be a strong resolve in America to recognize the legitimacy of democracy as a whole. There are growing strains of anarchists in the country, but they seem to be a vocal minority. Secondly, as mentioned on page 10, the authors note that a factor in preserving democracy is the hope to remove those in power and change policies through elections. This aspect seems to hold strong in America, especially in regard to presidential elections. While incumbents in Congress have relatively low turnover, it is not impossible to achieve change, as exemplified by the rise of the Tea Party and the flip in the House in 2010 to Republicans. Overall, while there might be reasons for concern, it doesn’t seem as though democratic legitimacy is under threat as a whole currently in