The Establishment of American Democracy

The United States of America has been a country unprecedented by any other in every way. This country has been founded on the principles of freedom, justice, and the equality of all people both in private affairs and in choosing the leaders of the country. The United States may not be the first country to claim democracy, but it is the first country to truly be a democracy and to succeed by firmly sticking to the principles of democracy that were established through the Declaration of Independence, the ratification of the Constitution, including the thirteenth through the fifteenth amendments, the Civil War, and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Democracy is a term given to a society that governs itself. In 1776, the Declaration was written establishing what the settlers of the United States felt they deserved “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” (LEP) The Declaration of Independence claimed all Americans were guaranteed these unalienable rights through God. The Declaration also stated that governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed not the choice of a monarch. By winning the Revolutionary War, the United States and its people were able to pursue their idea of a true democracy.

Following the war, the United States Constitution was written. This document is the most important of all those which established democracy in the United States, because it set-up the democratic government that is still the definition of American government today. The Constitution provided for a Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branch with checks and balances to prevent the government from reinstating the tyrannical rule Americans had escaped when they won their independence. With the exception of the Cabinet and the Supreme Court Justices, all politicians in the United States are elected by majority rule. Only the President and Vice-President were elected separately and through the Electoral College, rather than by the popular vote.

I believe the first few words of the Preamble to the Constitution explain our democracy best. “We the People of the United States” is a phrase that was written to encompass every man, woman, and child in 1787 and their descendents. As long as the United States uses the Constitution as the Supreme Law this country will always be a democracy.

In 1790, the Constitution was ratified by Rhode Island (LEP) and the United States had their rules for democracy officially on paper. The writers did however realize that they may need to amend this document to fit the needs of the country, so Article Five, the process of amendment, was included to allow for these changes. In order for an amendment to be added, three-fourths of the states have to ratify it. (LEP) This again shows democracy in that the majority