American Democracy
Definition
American Democracy refers to the system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives. It's characterized by principles of liberty, equality, and justice.
Analogy
Think of American Democracy as a school election. Every student (citizen) has a right to vote for their preferred candidate (representative). The candidate with the most votes wins and makes decisions on behalf of all students. Just like in a school election where everyone's vote counts equally, in American democracy every citizen's vote carries equal weight.
Related terms
Representative Democracy: This is a type of democracy where citizens elect officials to represent them in government and make decisions on their behalf.
Direct Democracy: In this form of democracy, citizens themselves decide on policy initiatives directly.
Constitutional Republic: A form of government where officials are elected by the people and must govern according to existing constitutional law that limits the government’s power over all its citizens.
"American Democracy" appears in:
Subjects (2)
Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (5)
- How might the trajectory of American democracy have differed if Thomas Jefferson did not include "pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration of Independence?
- What trend marks the evolution of discretionary and rule-making authority from the early days of American democracy to contemporary times?
- Why has the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech remained a fundamental aspect of American democracy?
- Why has the First Amendment's protection of free speech continued to be an essential concept in American democracy?
- Why has the First Amendment, protecting freedom of speech and expression, continued to be a central aspect of American democracy?
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