Government and Politics - We Need Election Reform in America

1765 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How does media affect democracy

"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy or perhaps both." -- James Madison ("Focus" 1)

The United States has strived to be a true democracy, a place in which the citizens are free to govern themselves, since its inception. For a democracy to work, the citizens must remain knowledgeable and elections must remain unbiased. Our current system of electing presidents fails in both of these regards: citizens are only given two choices that stand any chance of winning and their decisions between those two candidates are influenced not by knowledge, but instead by what they have seen on thirty second television commercials. In order to break up the complete political monopoly the Democrat and Republican Parties have on the United States, we as Americans need to reform our presidential elections so that third party and independent candidates have a legitimate chance of holding offices and so that citizens are able to vote on the candidates based on their political beliefs rather than on their ability to fundraise and advertise. Similar reforms should be made to the elections for other offices as well at the federal, state and local levels. The ideas and arguments presented in this paper can be applied to American elections in general although, because of the small scope of this paper, they only speak of the presidential elections.

A candidate cannot legitimately compete in modern American elections without being able to finance a huge television advertising campaign. Commercials have become an integral part of our...

... middle of paper ...

...Democrats and Republicans hold in this country would allow candidates with fresh ideas and new ways of dealing with old problems to take office. Through these new representatives, our government will become healthier and better able to adapt to today's changing political environment.

Sources Cited

Basham, Patrick. "The Illiberal Reality of European-Style Campaign Reform." http://www.cato.org/dailys/03-13-02.html.

Donnis, Ian. "In Whose Interest?" http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/other_stories/multi-page/documents/02552297.htm.

Targonski, Rosalie. http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/archive/elect00/primer.htm.

"Focus - Freedom of Press and Information." http://usembassy.state.gov/islamabad/wwwhircalert0702.html

Associated Press. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/e1598.htm.

CNN. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/results/.

Show More
Related

  • Taking a Look at the Louisiana Purchase

    1232 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Louisiana purchase was a very significant event in the United States of America that changed the country we live in today. Since, “1762, Spain had owned the territory of Louisiana, between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains” (Office of the Historian). This purchase led to many great things due to the French now having possession over it. Even though the French sold major land in the Louisiana Purchase, the money gained by France and the land acquired by America was a win for both sides of the deal.

    Read More

  • Thomas Jefferson’s Hypocrisy Regarding the Louisiana Purchase

    1197 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kukla, Jon. "A Whole Country in Commotion: The Louisiana Purchase and the American Southwest." The Journal of American History 93.1 (2006): 199. ProQuest. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of the Rhetorical Elements of Political Campaign Advertisements

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is very common among the United States’ political sphere to rely heavily on T.V. commercials during election season; this is after all the most effective way to spread a message to millions of voters in order to gain their support. The presidential election of 2008 was not the exception; candidates and interest groups spent 2.6 billion dollars on advertising that year from which 2 billion were used exclusively for broadcast television (Seelye 2008.) Although the effectiveness of these advertisements is relatively small compared to the money spent on them (Liasson 2012), it is important for American voters to think critically about the information and arguments presented by these ads. An analysis of the rhetoric in four of the political campaign commercials of the 2008 presidential election reveals the different informal fallacies utilized to gain support for one of the candidates or misguide the public about the opposing candidate.

    Read More

  • Calvin Coolidge

    1809 Words  | 4 Pages

    John Calvin Coolidge, thirtieth President of the United States, was a quiet but brave man. His primary focus was on domestic issues within the United States. His childhood was hard, he pulled through and his life was a mirror of his strength. Calvin Coolidge did great things which were reflected in his personal life, his political upbringing, and his presidency until his death.

    Read More

  • Louisiana Purchase: Expanding and Reshaping America

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 was a large expansion to the United States. With the country nearly doubled in size, the Louisiana Purchase brought up many debates on constitutionality, questions of what was in the new land, as well as questions about the existence of slavery within the newly acquired land. The look of the United States changed forever with this large amount of land, both geographically and politically.

    Read More

  • The Electoral College Vs. Popular Vote

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States is a privileged country with freedoms and opportunities many countries strive to achieve. People come into the United States in hopes to obtain these rights and make a better life for themselves; they strive to achieve “The American Dream.” Citizens are given the chance to vote, speak their mind, and live according to their desires without prejudice. However, the same government that promises hope has flaws that frustrate the American people; the Electoral College is one topic of debate. Many feel this system is a safe way to regulate who leads the country, while others feel that issues should be left to popular vote.

    Read More

  • The Formative Years of The Louisiana Purchase

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    To buy or not to buy, that is the question. Although it was the greatest “real estate” deal, the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 was perhaps one of the most controversial events in American History. President Thomas Jefferson, although he was a Founding Father and the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, faced major opposition with his decision to purchase the Louisiana Territory from the French. Most of the opposition he faced, however, was domestic.

    Read More

  • Purchase Of The Louisiana Purchase

    2611 Words  | 6 Pages

    In 1803 the United States would make the largest and possibly most controversial land purchases in American history, the Louisiana Purchase. During the years leading up to this event the United States was still trying to solidify a national identity. There were two subjects that were causing for division of the new national identity, one being westward expansion. The Northern states and Federalists opposed the idea of westward expansion while the Southern States and the Jeffersonians backed this purchase. Although there was a struggle for a single national identity and this controversial purchase did not aid in finding that single identity, it was still the right decision for the United States. By purchasing this land from the French the United States would not share a colonial boundary with the French who were continuing to gain power under Napoleon. Purchasing the Louisiana Territory would prove to be beneficial for the United States for more reason than one.

    Read More

  • Ideal Man and Woman in The Tale of Genji

    1492 Words  | 3 Pages

    The indigenous Japanese culture, arts and literature have flourished in the Heian period of Japan. One can tell that exchanging short poems and messages between each other was the most prominent device of communication for both men and women at the time. Composing and exchanging love poems and messages were mostly us...

    Read More

  • America's Democracy

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    America's Democracy 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.

    Read More

  • The Relationship Between Television and Presidential Elections

    2346 Words  | 5 Pages

    The aim of this paper is to look at the relationship between the mass media, specifically television, and presidential elections. This paper will focus on the function of television in presidential elections through three main areas: exit polls, presidential debates, and spots. The focus is on television for three reasons. First, television reaches more voters than any other medium. Second, television attracts the greatest part of presidential campaign budgets. Third, television provides the candidates a good opportunity to contact the people directly. A second main theme of this paper is the role of television in presidential elections in terms of representative democracy in the United States.

    Read More

  • Single-Sex Schooling Causes Stereotyping and Legitimizes Institutional Sexism

    2408 Words  | 5 Pages

    Single sex classes may help to break down stereotypes that the coeducational classroom may inadvertently reinforce. While attending single sex schools, students are more likely to excel in any subject, rather than limit ...

    Read More

  • Archimedes

    1797 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are many references to Archimedes in writings of his time period. His fame then was not due to an interest in his mathematical ideas—it was in his inventions. Plutarch wrote about Archimedes’ "engines of war" being used against the Romans in the siege of 212 B.C. Apparently Archimedes was persuaded by King Hieron to devote some of his mental ability toward that purpose.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Single Gender Education

    1842 Words  | 4 Pages

    When people think of school classrooms, their first thought is of boys and girls together as a group of students. However, educational experts are now questioning whether it would be more beneficial for each gender, of all ages, to attend single-gender schools. Even though some experts are pro single-gender classrooms, there are others who are against this type of schooling.

    Read More

  • Single Sex Education: Beneficial or Detrimental?

    2360 Words  | 5 Pages

    Single sex education is a controversial battle that will most likely continue for decades. However, research and studies have shown in multiple cases and circumstances that single sex education is an extremely important tool that should be utilized in numerous situations. Many people think that dividing students based on sex will perpetuate gender discrimination; however, this kind of education may bridge more gaps than people realize. Not only do boys and girls develop and function differently, they are distracted by one another. Eliminating distractions and making classrooms conducive to each gender and learning style will ultimately result in a tremendous incline in academic grades and student participation.

    Read More

More about Government and Politics - We Need Election Reform in America

Open Document