Democracy And Synthesis Essay

In 2007, the principle of democracy was reconsidered - is it truly the most natural system of government? To examine this through a comparative lens, a crew of filmmakers conducted an experiment in the urban locale of Wuhan, China. In a 3rd grade class, three students democratically competed for the habitually appointed position of class monitor, an amalgamation of teacher’s assistant and class president. Despite not knowing the formal definition of democracy, once the idea behind it - “the right to express your opinions” - was elucidated, the students grasped its essence. Nonetheless, rather than being a natural state of existence, one’s chosen system of government is dependent upon cultural values and practices. Democracy is not natural -

Money can have a corrupting influence in government, highlighting the cyclic nature of political power. Nonetheless, many of the fundamentals of the election were similar to those found in an American style democracy. The prevalence of political manipulation was an evident similarity. Luo Lei led his classmates in insulting Xiaofei until she cried, though Cheng Cheng initiated these insults behind the scenes. During Xiaofei and Cheng Cheng’s debate, the two criticized each other's personal faults (e.g. eating slowly), a trend reminiscent of recent presidential debates. While Luo Lei’s was lambasted for “beating people,” his father, a ‘campaign manager’, coached him to reword these faults positively. In addition, the students naturally chose certain democratic strategies, as evidenced by the motif of support bases. During the debates, they selected classmates to support them, whether via friendship or via bribery. Cheng Cheng ensured his classmates positions (e.g. vice monitor) in his government if they voted for him. Similarly, Luo Lei bought one of Cheng Cheng’s former assistants to support

In addition, the voting occurred immediately after the closing statements, a contrast to the lengthy campaigns of US elections. Ultimately, the position of a class monitor was not conducive to democracy. Luo Lei represented a dictator who rules by fear. In the end, a class monitor is not their peers’ friend, but someone who keeps them in line. Cheng Cheng’s “friendly manager” persona was not suitable. Via a secret paper ballot system, a democratic measure, Luo Lei was elected class monitor after amassing 64% of the vote. The losers publicly congratulated the winner to legitimize the democratic