In the following article, Sam Waterman, a writer for Teens in Print—a writing program empowering Boston students—discusses the erosion of democracy in the United States, citing the Capitol insurrection and the rise of anti-democratic sentiments.
The United States is the guardian of democracy. It is a bastion of freedom and liberty. It is a country that holds free and fair elections, without outside influence. The U.S. represents a model that every country on the planet should strive for and this is an idea that a lot of people hold in the United States. At the very least, we understand that the U.S. has made a lot of progress toward democracy since the Declaration of Independence in 1776, allowing more and more people to vote and protect their rights. Our government has grown and progressed more than ever before.
At least, that’s what we would like to think. The 2021 capitol insurrection tells us a different story. It tells a story of pent-up anger and political aggression. It tells a story of people who are willing to sacrifice democracy for a strong autocracy instead. Ever since the 2020 presidential election, anti-democratic sentiment has skyrocketed. Democracy in America is not valued as it once was, and we must change that.
Ever since 2020, people have gotten increasingly comfortable with the idea of overturning election results. A movement called “Stop the Steal” has risen since Trump falsely claimed victory, and its purpose is to “encourage Trump supporters to take over positions in election administration.” Then, they will be able to “overturn a legitimate election result, citing fraud that does not exist, and award the state’s electoral votes to the Republican nominee.” This clearly presents a huge threat to democracy. A central idea of democracy is the peaceful transfer of power and the acceptance of election results. How can it be considered ok for people to alter election administration for political means? If people believe that election results are something that can be disputed, or that they are only a “suggestion,” then we cannot have democracy.
These groups have only made progress in recent years. For example, in states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, legislators are trying to make it easier for election results to be overturned. Trump supporters have also been successful in acquiring important positions that oversee elections. All of this is happening in plain sight. If successful, this could be a huge blow to democracy. People need to become more aware of these issues and understand their severity.
The approval of political violence is also on the rise. According to a survey done by the American Enterprise Institute, nearly three in ten Americans believe that political violence is justified, with that number rising to four in ten for Republicans. While most are still against political violence, these numbers are staggering. Strong democracies are supposed to be devoid of political violence and have other means for people to express their disappointment. That is what free speech is for: it is a way for people to call for change, criticize, and hold leaders accountable. If people are willing to resort to political violence, then that means that they do not trust the system at all.
Democracy is something that should most certainly be protected. While the idea of having a “benevolent dictator” may seem attractive, it just simply is not possible. Social studies teacher Jeffory Isen at Boston Latin Academy explains why: “Basic human rights in an authoritarian regime… aren’t guaranteed… And even a very effective authoritarian regime is bound to screw up at some point.” While some might claim that an authoritarian regime is more efficient than a democratic one, this is not true in the long run. As freedom of speech is limited in an authoritarian regime to maintain power, leaders will not be able to know if their policies are actually good or not, as nobody can say that they are anything but perfect. This will eventually lead to bad policies being put into effect that harm the country. Plus, you won’t be able to count on your human rights to be respected in an authoritarian regime. Democracies hold leaders accountable and also provide a variety of ideas so that all the possibilities can be considered.
Whether you want to admit it or not, democracy is under threat in our country. More and more people are vilifying the entire system, and believe that the only way that they can make things right is by breaking the rules and resorting to violence. This most certainly needs to be stopped, because democracy is invaluable in keeping our rights and freedoms. We must remain ever vigilant in our defense of democracy because the moment that we take it for granted is the moment that we lose it.
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