Democracy has always been a very important issue in America; as the nation grew and progressed, so did the type of democracy and the definition of it. .
What is democracy? Democracy is a method for making political decisions; it is what makes the country distinguished, powerful and is the basis for American success. The connotation I get from democracy is government of the people, by the people, and for the people. I also think democracy must encompass all people, and there should be no prejudices or restrictions against people in a democratic nation. There are seven key principles that satisfy a democracy, which includes: equality in voting, effective participation, enlightened understanding, citizen control of the agenda, inclusion, rule of decision, and representation.
Is America a democracy? Yes, America is a democracy by definition. However, over the course of American history, the shape of American democracy and how it was defined has greatly evolved. In the early part of American history, I believe that the government was a democracy, but it was more of an elitist and class-driven type of democracy. Democracy being simply a method for making political decisions definitely would have been an appropriate definition for early America's government. In theory it was to be a government in which society is divided along class lines and the upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of the governmental organization. However, the lower class citizens were not the only people being overlooked; I feel a nation is not truly democratic until every person has a voice; men, women, all races and backgrounds. Our early government failed to provide equality and many other major ideals that fit into the true definition of a democratic society. Many Anti-Federalists agreed that the Constitution was a class-based document; "There was one objection which was central to the Anti-Federalist attacks on the new government: The new Constitution was a class-based document, intended to ensure that a particular economic elite controlled the public policies of the national government" (Government in America, 45).
