An astounding fact about the United States government is that someone who received only half of all American votes is now in charge of leading the country. In 2012, President Obama won the election with 303 of the 509 Electoral Votes, yet 48.4% of people still voted for Mitt Romney. While this result represents the resolution of an undemocratic form of election, the Electoral College, if the United States practiced pure democracy (similarly to ancient Athenians) the result would have remained the same. However, the fact remains that the United States is not a democracy; it is a democratic republic. While the Constitution cannot be looked at as a purely democratic document, it was never written with that intention. Instead, the Constitution
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In his work, Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville worries that democracy will lead to tyranny within American borders. He questions the idea that a majority’s decision is always morally correct by posing the question: “If it be admitted that a man, possessing absolute power, may misuse that power by wronging his adversaries, why should a majority not be liable to the same reproach?” Here Alexis de Tocqueville echoes a concern raised by John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government. Locke would argue that popular decision can most certainly lead to …show more content…
Madison and his cohorts double down by explicitly writing about the length of terms into the Constitution. Presidents serve for four years , senators serve for six , and Supreme Court justices serve indefinitely. By giving senators, presidents, and justices lengthy terms upon election, the framers take power away from the citizens as a whole because it is harder to hold politicians accountable for their actions. While the Senate can impeach the president, there is no precedent for the People removing a Supreme Court Justice or a senator from office. So long as a justice practices his or her job under “good Behavior,” the People cannot remove the justice from office even if the justice makes an unpopular decision. Beyond the Supreme Court, only the House can impeach the president or remove a senator. Even when the president vetoes a bill supported by a majority of Americans, their job more often than not remains safe. No matter how angry a populous might be with the actions of a politician, unless the government itself acts to remove someone from office, there exists no legal way for the People to vote said politician out. The fact that politicians get to serve the full length of their term gives representatives more power to represent all of the different people in the United States, not just the ones with popular
In his work, Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville worries that democracy will lead to tyranny within American borders. He questions the idea that a majority’s decision is always morally correct by posing the question: “If it be admitted that a man, possessing absolute power, may misuse that power by wronging his adversaries, why should a majority not be liable to the same reproach?” Here Alexis de Tocqueville echoes a concern raised by John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government. Locke would argue that popular decision can most certainly lead to …show more content…
Madison and his cohorts double down by explicitly writing about the length of terms into the Constitution. Presidents serve for four years , senators serve for six , and Supreme Court justices serve indefinitely. By giving senators, presidents, and justices lengthy terms upon election, the framers take power away from the citizens as a whole because it is harder to hold politicians accountable for their actions. While the Senate can impeach the president, there is no precedent for the People removing a Supreme Court Justice or a senator from office. So long as a justice practices his or her job under “good Behavior,” the People cannot remove the justice from office even if the justice makes an unpopular decision. Beyond the Supreme Court, only the House can impeach the president or remove a senator. Even when the president vetoes a bill supported by a majority of Americans, their job more often than not remains safe. No matter how angry a populous might be with the actions of a politician, unless the government itself acts to remove someone from office, there exists no legal way for the People to vote said politician out. The fact that politicians get to serve the full length of their term gives representatives more power to represent all of the different people in the United States, not just the ones with popular