Is American Democracy Still Working?

The question itself, “Is American democracy working?” is so vast, and the topic so complex, it could fill volumes before an adequate answer was found with which to settle the subject. Undoubtedly, if presented this question, most would pause, mindfully think for a short minute, and then, with a degree of certainty, answer yes. We’ve had no need to rise up and overthrow our government at any point in our short history. Elections for all public offices are held every few years, and since George Washington was elected as our first president, these transitions of power have occurred without any violence. Whichever side of the political landscape you find yourself on, liberal, conservative, or a little of both, to look at were we as a nation are today is to see that American democracy must be working. Otherwise, this experiment called the United States would have come apart long ago, right?

Not so fast. A student of history would have some serious problems with simply giving our “democracy” a pass/fail grade. In exiting this class, I have learned a great deal in regards to our system of government, to include the history behind it and the ideals our Founding Fathers aspired to. If I were asked this question two months ago, I would have stopped, thought a minute, and, with a possible reservation or two, said “Yes, for the most part, we’re doing very well for ourselves”. Today, I can see how far we’ve gone from where we were intended to go, and how our democracy is still working, but only on the surface. American democracy is coming undone. We are not over the edge yet, but the majority of Americans are unaware of the serious problems we face, and that ignorance will be what causes the wheels of democracy to stop turning.

A Separation of Powers

First, we look at our current system of checks and balances. While not in a state of complete disarray, there are forces in action which certainly undermine the intentions of the Framers of the Constitution. In fear of a strong central government which could lead to tyranny, they developed a separation of powers which would ensure no one branch could ever usurp power from the other two1. Each power given or assumed by any branch was always checked by giving either of the other branches a competing power to maintain balance in the system. We can see a presidential veto of a bill checked by a two-thirds vote to override in the Senate. The president can commute a prison sentence and grant pardons or reprieves, in effect rendering moot a Court’s decision. Congress has the right to confirm or deny presidential appointments to the Supreme Court. In the name of democracy, this system of checks and balances was instituted. A look at our current situation reveals a growing problem with all three branches skirting around, or flat out ignoring, what was written into our Constitution.