Pericles On Democracy

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I do not agree with Pericles when he proclaims that citizens who are uninvolved democratically are useless. All people have their role in society, and every member of the system is needed to ensure its functionality. The same people that eschewed voting day may be doctors or police that save and affect many lives every day. Society could not proceed without the balance of different opinions, and some opinions do not involve politics. However, democratic involvement is a critical responsibility for every citizen. The lasting, detrimental result of lack of participation from citizens to a government is less representation of the people and more corruption in the system.
Why are people not becoming involved? Could lack of ambition be the reasoning behind the aloofness? This could potentially be the answer, but I foresee a greater problem occurring; an ignorance about how our government functions. American government processes are not simple and are difficult to comprehend. The Founding Fathers purposely complicated the government, but this safety net against uneducated public servants has, in turn, made uneducated constituents that inhibit the process of democracy altogether. Far too many …show more content…

Silent, nonpresent citizens hinder the progress of a democracy and government. When their voices are not represented, they lessen the effectiveness of democracy, which is literally a government of many. A government cannot represent an unheard voice, and in democracy, the vocal chords of a population is the voting booth. In former President Obama’s commencement speech to Howard University in 2016, he encouraged the students that voting “when it is cool” will not make a voice apparent. Obama stated that voting diligently and contacting local and statewide representatives is the way to initiate change and project a

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