Democracy Democracy to me implies a place where the will of the people is represented by the government, and those who control the government are chosen by and represent the will of the people run their government thereof. In a broader and idealist sense, Democracy is a government in which all people must agree, run by the people for the people. The fundamental notion of Democracy is there is no dictatorship, and the leaders of the country are never more powerful than the people, and the leader is always answerable to the people. Interestingly enough, research shows that our country is not really a Democracy. Democracy is more an ideal of influence than an applicable model of reality. By the same token, the definition is not really clear and the understanding of Democracy and the extent to which our country has been a Democracy since its inception has been a source of debate more than agreement. What is clear is there was concern by some for earlier examples in civilization and the concern that a pure form of Democracy would lead to too many the majority totally silencing (and thus oppressing) the minority. This gives rise to a modern day question of the efficacy of the manifestation of Democracy, and the extent to which we are a Democratic state. Interestingly enough our pledge of allegiance calls for allegiance to the Republic for which the flag stands, not the Democracy for which the flag stands. Research shows there were concerns on the part of our Founding Fathers regarding the notion of the Democracy, as it was coined and precedented from earlier times. There are historical instances where the influence of the government, even if it was a body elected by the body of the people, would have too broad a power of influence, and too condemning or oppressive in their lack of tolerance, such as in the case of Socrates, who was executed by an popularly elected Democracy. The leaders were not dictators or acting without the...   MORE >>