Democracy the Triumphant, Essay Example

Abraham Lincoln, arguably one of the greatest presidents to serve the United States of America (US), defined democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people”.[i]  This is possibly the best definition of such a complex ideal, conceived by man to establish the foundation of citizens’ rights and organization law.  As democracy was conceived by human beings, it has human flaws, which include susceptibility to undue influence in the form of manipulation, burdensome consequence in the form of discrimination, and tunnel vision that many times results in conflicts that escalate into violence.  However, democracy is a living, breathing organism that although sometimes is frail is hard to kill.  The ideas of equality, justice, and freedom are too desirable to allow a simple death, and so women and men through the ages have worked to establish, preserve, and ensure continuity of democracy for themselves and future generations.

The US is a wonderful study of democracy’s life stages.  Founded in 1776 by men who determined that the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness were the cornerstones of a true democracy, the US became a force to be reckoned with not because of military strength or exceptional political connections, but because of the strength of the idea of democracy.  Two dozen men and assistants sat in a room and decided to commit high treason they felt so strongly about the lack of self-determination they experienced under British rule.  There are historical accounts of conflict that many times escalated into shouting matches, and one can image a possible shoving match or two.  There were deals that exemplify greed and malice, made to ensure the Declaration of Independence would be signed, deals that had far reaching consequences: slavery would continue under the new establishment and slaves would only count at three-fifths of a person.  There was talk of walking away from the table, to just endure British rule and forsake all that they had worked for, but manipulation and extreme persuasion were utilized to keep those present working toward compromise.  Due to the exceptional hard work, sacrifice, and dedication of our Founders, the Declaration of Independence was signed and the US was born, a new nation of endless potential and boundless possibilities.  A new nation made possible because violence was deterred and reason prevailed, reason based on the golden idea of democracy.

Yet the example of America’s birth brings forth another side of democracy, one where violence may be required to allow minority (smaller) groups full participation in democratic glory.  When the US was founded, women and slaves were not included as full bodied participants in the new democracy.  Women could not own property (except for particular circumstances), they could not vote, and they were treated as second class citizens.  Ethnic minorities were treated worse than women, particularly African Americans, who were enslaved and even if offered the opportunity to purchase their freedom, were required to relocate to another area.  These specific instances of injustice were common practice in the US well into its emergence as a world power.

Women did not obtain the right to vote until 1918, after 142 years of demonstrations, negotiations, compromises, and bitter defeats.  Additionally, in 2010, women continue to be paid less than men (approximately 82 cents for every dollar a man earns) – 234 years after the establishment of the US democracy.  Although these facts are hard to view without feeling overwhelming frustration at the slow progress of full participation of minority groups, they point to a great truth that if denied would be most unfortunate:  democracy works.  Justice takes time, but with the right amount of dedication, diplomacy, patience, the US system of debate, informed decision making, and systematic implementation of change does work.

Slavery is an extreme instance where violence was the catalyst to bring about democracy for a minority group, yet a compelling tale as to how democracy was later used – and is still used – to ensure full participation of a minority group.  When the Founding Fathers agreed to continue the institution of slavery, there was disapproval among the group but an understanding that such compromise was necessary to get the southern colonies (particularly South Carolina) to agree to the Declaration.  This disapproval grew into a movement – the Abolitionists – who used a combination of diplomacy and subterfuge (the Underground Railroad) to obtain freedom for slaves.  This dance continued for decades, until the question of “How are we going to deal with slavery?” could no longer be negotiated – it needed to be answered.  It was answered in blood – the Civil War.

It is estimated that over 100,000 soldiers died during the Civil War.  The estimates for the number of slaves who died vary widely due to their status as chattel.  The physical injuries, property damage, bitter divisions among families, friends, and leadership continue to resonate today (for example, it is proposed by well respected political analysts that Georgia Governor Roy Barnes lost re-election to Sonny Perdue in 2002 because Perdue promised to bring back the Confederate “battle” flag that to many continues to symbolize the pain of the War Between the States).

Although the Civil War ended in 1865, it was not until the passage of the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th Amendments to the US Constitution that slaves were freed, granted citizenship, and obtained the right to vote.  These amendments were crafted and passed due to efforts of diplomacy and negotiation as part of a democratic process; and were necessary to ensure the basic freedoms guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence were extended to all men.   One must wonder if the Civil War had not been, if violence had been avoided, whether slavery would exist today.  There is a strong presumption that it would not: just as women obtained the right to vote, to own property, and to do almost any job a man can do, so too would slaves have been freed and endowed with the rights of citizenship.  Admittedly, the process would have taken longer – as established by the Women’s Movement, democracy is slow and requires great patience.  However, the bitterness and mistrust that resulted in the manner the slavery question was answered cannot be understated.

Trust and goodwill are fundamental components to successful negotiation.  Negotiation and compromise are essential tools to ensure peace in democracy.  By its very nature, democracy – true government by the people – dictates that everyone will not agree on everything.  However, trust and goodwill go a long way to pave the road for a bit of give and take when attempting the extraordinary, i.e., to govern, and government requires compromise.

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 is a wonderful example of negotiation and compromise in action.  The Missouri Compromise was the method Congress used to ensure the number of “slave states” and “free states” would remain equal.  The idea was to ensure that no one interest would become so powerful as to dominate the other.  The primary concern was that if such dominance occurred, conflict would escalate to violence and prevent governance of any kind.  There were many people in both houses of Congress who detested the Missouri Compromise, yet voted for it because they knew that order needed to be preserved.  The art of negotiation then came into play.  There were others who refused to vote for the Compromise because they believed that order was not the same as peace, and order could not and should not be preserved at all costs.  Yet the Compromise passed and war was averted for 40 years.

As administrations and agendas changed, so too did the desire to negotiate and compromise.  Each “side” of the slavery debate became immovable and government ground to a halt.  Angry words were exchanged, threats issued, and a revolution resulted in the Civil War.  However, the US became “one country, under God, indivisible” once again – through democracy.  The people decided to push through the anger, look toward the future, and take back the promise of what was theirs:  life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Democracy is not a perfect system of government.  It has flaws because it was conceived by and implemented by imperfect mankind, making it susceptible to manipulation, injustice, corruption, which all result in violence.  However, the joy is that the US model of democracy continues to evolve, to learn from its mistakes, to function in a way that is good and just for all of its citizens.  It is this willingness to learn and grow, fostered by generations of women and men, that ensure democracy will be triumphant.

[i] Democracy Building, http://www.democracy-building.info/definition-democracy.html.