Today, the meaning of democracy is subject to interpretation. Many societies around the world claim to function democratically, calling themselves democracies, often skewing the literal meaning behind the word, "rule by the many," by the people. In the United States of America, we define democracy as a government in which the people hold the supreme power through elections, the right to speak out, demonstrate, petition, or run for public office. We are free to make our own decisions, both political and religious, however, many feel that our democracy is under attack by the nations battling political parties. Politics and politicians in America are the backbone of democracy; we cannot efficiently uphold the rights and regulations of the Constitution without elected officials to organize and delegate power within such a large nation. However, the power struggles between the political parties do not negate the fact that each still holds to ensure the values of the Constitution. Not only is it the uncertain economy and the threat of terror overseas, it is the lack of personal issues being addressed that make the American people leery of the government. Aside from these very important issues within our nation, Americans are still guaranteed basic freedoms and this guarantee is upheld and enforced ensuring we maintain a healthy democracy. .
In the discussion "Democracy in the Danger Panel" with Bill Moyers and his colleagues, the health of our nation is reviewed and we find that while the concept of a healthy democracy is upheld, it is the politics of our nation that separates the public from the system. While the Democratic and Republican parties battle over liberal and conservative ideals, our people have lost a certain amount of confidence in the government over the last few decades.