American Democracy Is Broken Analysis

1344 Words3 Pages

VIEWPOINTS ESSAY

Introduction

American Democracy was rooted by “the Framers” through the Constitution. The Constitution set forth key functions that are practiced till this day by the American Government . The Framer created these function in government as a mechanism that is for and by the people . The debate as to whether American Democracy is either failing or succeeding has been a worldwide discussion amongst the people of America. My position in this question is that American Democracy is Broken. The reason I believe this is because regardless of if we vote for congressman, senators, and or presidents our vote would be based on the information given to us by the media and promises these elected officials feed us; and at any point they can change direction of enacting certain public policy’s. In both Viewpoints articles “The American Democracy is Broken” written by, Eric Alterman and “American Democracy is not Broken” written by T.A. Barnhart; each author expressed valid points for their position. The strong points in my opinion for each article are as followed:
The American Democracy is Broken
Strong Points
In the article The American Democracy is Broken” written by, Eric Alterman; Alterman contends that the United States democracy needs real change. He believes that “we need to elect politicians willing to challenge the outdated rules of the senate ”, to add to this; senators are stuck in their own ideological ideas and thoughts. While the framers clearly wanted to build a government by the people, and for the people, bureaucrats which is an individual who is part of the government ; and lobbyist, which is an interest group representative who seeks to influence legislation in the benefit of his or her organization ; aff...

... middle of paper ...

...ation and framing issues in a certain manner; the media may certainly effect the opinion of the American people; thus effecting the lens of which is given to the people and not allowing them to see the true issues that arises within the government. The news media constantly want to create controversy, and create a frenzy; this interludes how the people may elect public officials which in turn help create public policy; and public policy contributes to the United States Democracy.
The reason above are why I believe the democracy is broken, because Congress fail to decide on issues that affect the nation as a whole, voters of low income and less educated brackets seems to believe that their votes do not count; and the media is bias in my opinion when framing issues of the nation, thus exerting the influence of the public and not addressing the real issues at hand.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of American Democracy In Peril

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    We will try to debunk a few different perspectives that involve the democracy in the United States. There are many “precursors to modern democratic theory” (3) for example; we all know that the ideology of democracy is a rather an old relic. I would actually like to reference an example that Hudson commonly went over in the introduction of the book. Hudson refers to the Greeks and how they had a well-developed system of successful democratic communities, now the reasons why he brings this up is because we as a democratic society have chosen to emulate the Greek democratic system. Much like us until recent times women and slaves were not allowed to vote only affluent men (3). Hudson also believed that everyone had born natural rights and that all people should have the equal opportunity to be involved in democratic affairs whether it be local or national level. Not only did Hudson agree with this theory, but with many other liberal theorists and they all had two main

    Read More

  • Ap Government Reflection

    967 Words  | 2 Pages

    Democracy is rule by the people; the people elect governing officials based off of their personal values and beliefs. Different political parties rule the political scene and are serving to represent the people’s opinions in the best ways possible. Previously, I had a belief that my political view was essentially the only one possible and therefore it was the best. These views changed quickly once I learned the different political parties, their views, how they represent the people’s views, and how public opinion shapes politics. The government is formed around differentiating opinions on which policies should be in place and which social aspects need to be considered first. Not only is the government guided by opinion, but the people’s lives are guided by opinion as well. Each individual holds a different view, and each view can have an influence on society. Fortunately, after roughly eight weeks of studying American Government, I now have a better sense of complexity and the value of

    Read More

  • Government: Monarchy, Theocracy, And Republic

    394 Words  | 1 Pages

    Democracy is control by the people. On the surface, this appears to be a superior form, but as Plato warned it is slow to react, oppresses of the minority, and lacks skilled leaders (Perry,

    Read More

  • U.s. Democracy Thriving : A Look Inside American Democracy

    2525 Words  | 6 Pages

    The United States is run by a democracy. There are many pieces to democracy that must be in good health in order for democracy to be effective and work. In this essay I will critique some of the most important parts of democracy in America and go deeper. I will first focus on the strengths of United States democracy and then I will dive into categories of democracy that I believe to not be thriving. I believe that the current conditions of United States democracy are becoming a hindrance to this nation, because the opinions and freedoms the public possess are being stripped away through poor media, education, and economy.

    Read More

  • America's Democracy

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States of America is a republic, or representative democracy. Democracy, a word that comes to us from Greek, literally means the people rule (Romance, July 8). This broad definition leaves unanswered a few important details such as who are the people, how shall they rule, and what should they rule on (July 8). Defining the answers to those questions means defining a model for a democratic system. William E. Hudson defines four such models in his book American Democracy in Peril: the Protective, Developmental, Pluralist, and Participatory models of democracy (Hudson, 8-19). Of these models, perhaps Participatory comes closest to an ideal, pure democracy of rule by the people (16-19). In practice, however, establishing a stable ideal democracy is not entirely feasible. In a country the size of the United States, it quickly becomes unwieldy if not impossible to have direct rule by the people. To overcome this, the compromise of the representative system allows the people to choose who will rule on a regular basis. The political culture that defines American politics shows that despite this compromise, America is still very much a democratic society.

    Read More

  • By George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, And Robert L. Lineberry

    1113 Words  | 3 Pages

    398).It is also stated that news divisions reduced their costs, and raised the entertainment factor of the broadcasts put on air. (p. 400). Secondly, the media determines its sources for stories by putting the best journalists on the case and assign them to areas where news worthy stories just emanates. (p.400). Third, the media decides how to present the news by taking the most controversial or relevant events and compressing them into 30 second sound-bites. (p.402). finally, the authors also explain how the media affects the general public. The authors’ state “The effect of one news story on public opinion may be trivial but the cumulative effect of dozens of news stories may be important. This shows a direct correlation between public opinions and what the media may find “relevant”. (Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry, 2015, p.

    Read More

  • How Ordinary People Change America by Frances Fox Piven

    1851 Words  | 4 Pages

    Most people associate democracy with electoral participation, meaning many Americans have a deep belief that the people of this country rule by participating in elections. Throughout history, people around the world have risked their lives believing in this idea. And who could blame them? This idea tells people that those in power over their country require the approval, or vote, of everyday people. We believe that we have a say in who runs our country so therefore we have a say in policies about war or peace, economic development, medical care, pension and welfare, etc.; all of these things we presume are based on the approval of voters who decide who will take offices of state and national authority.

    Read More

  • All the President’s Men

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, the role of the media is to represent the public and intervene between the public and the government. The media is a mirror, which re...

    Read More

  • James Madison's Democracy: A Flawed Democracy

    394 Words  | 1 Pages

    James Madison’s idea, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.” soundly captures my belief about our democracy. I believe the structure of our democracy is strong and effective, but unfortunately flawed by the people prosecuting it. From a textbook approach, I would argue that our democracy is almost an ideal model. The Madisonian model is set up to include a separation of powers and checks and balances to prevent tyranny. Our democracy holds strong principles which include, a limited government, free speech and press, free and fair elections, and allowing the people to vote; it also includes the process

    Read More

  • Problems With American Democracy

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    More than two-hundred years ago, thirteen young nations defeated a tyrant thousands of miles away. The prize for such a victory was self-government. For the first time in human history, a nation had handed over supreme executive power to the masses. Exercising this power has become a hallmark of being an American. Even today it is thought of as one of the most patriotic acts one can undertake. The thought of a nation run by popular vote is a comfortable enough idea, but in the case of the United States, a self-governed population threatens to destroy itself and possibly the world through wasteful spending, unregulated pursuit of profits, and a blotted military budget.

    Read More

  • The Hidden Relationship Between Government and Media

    2097 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Hidden Relationship Between Government and Media Rather than being a neutral conduit for the communication of information, the U.S. media plays an intricate role in shaping and controlling political opinions. Media is extremely powerful in the sense that without an adequate functioning media, it is virtually impossible for a sophisticated social structure like the U.S. Government to exist. Henceforth, all known sophisticated social structures, have always been dependent upon the media’s ability to socialize. The U.S. government generally exploits the media, often times manipulating the enormous power of the printed word. Ultimately empowering the U.S. government, strengthening it with the ability to determine and control the popular perception of reality.

    Read More

  • The Power of the Media in Politics

    1730 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Power of the Media in Politics The mass media possesses a great deal of influence in society and politics in the United States. Newspapers, radio, magazines and television. are able to use their own judgment when reporting current events. The The power of the mass media is an asset to the government in some instances and a stumbling block in others. Recent technology and regulations related to The media have improved the means by which the public can get information.

    Read More

  • The Influence of the Media on Politics

    4123 Words  | 9 Pages

    Americans look to the press to provide the information they need to make informed political choices. How well the press lives up to its responsibility to provide this information has a direct impact upon Americans: how they think about and act upon the issues that confront them.

    Read More

  • Essay On Role Of Media In Politics

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    The current role of mass media in politics has definitely played a significant role in how view and react to certain events and issues of the nation. Newspapers, magazines, television and radio are some of the ways information is passed onto many of the citizens. The World Wide Web is also an information superhighway, but not all of the sources on the Internet are credible. Therefore, I will only focus on the main three types of media: written, viewed, and audible, and how they affect whether or not democracy is being upheld in the land of the free. The media includes several different outlets through which people can receive information on politics, such as radio, television, advertising and mailings. When campaigning, politicians spend large quantities of money on media to reach voters, concentrating on voters who are undecided. Politicians may use television commercials, advertisements or mailings to point out potentially negative qualities in their opponents while extolling their own virtues. The media can also influence politics by deciding what news the public needs to hear. Often, there are more potential news stories available to the media than time or space to devote to them, so the media chooses the stories that are the most important and the most sensational for the public to hear. This choice can often be shaped,

    Read More

  • How Media Influences Public Opinion

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    In our democratic society, mass media is the driving force of public opinion. Media sources such as Internet, newspaper, news-broadcasts, etc, play significant roles in shaping a person’s understanding and perception about the events occurred in our daily lives. But how much influence does the mass media poses on our opinion? Guaranteed by the First Amendment in American Constitution, the media will always be there to inform us about the different events or issues they feel are important for the public. The media constantly bombards us with news, advertisements, etc, wher...

    Read More

More about American Democracy Is Broken Analysis

Open Document