The U.S. - A Legitimate Democracy?

The U.S. - a Legitimate Democracy?

In any system which claims to be democratic, a question of its
legitimacy remains. A truly democratic political system has certain
characteristics which prove its legitimacy with their existence. One
essential characteristic of a legitimate democracy is that it allows
people to freely make choices without government intervention. Another
necessary characteristic which legitimates government is that every
vote must count equally: one vote for every person. For this equality
to occur, all people must be subject to the same laws, have equal
civil rights, and be allowed to freely express their ideas. Minority
rights are also crucial in a legitimate democracy. No matter how
unpopular their views, all people should enjoy the freedoms of speech,
press and assembly. Public policy should be made publicly, not
secretly, and regularly scheduled elections should be held. Since
"legitimacy" may be defined as "the feeling or opinion the people have
that government is based upon morally defensible principles and that
they should therefore obey it," then there must necessarily be a
connection between what the people want and what the government is
doing if legitimacy is to occur.
The U.S. government may be considered legitimate in some
aspects, and illegitimate in others. Because voting is class-biased,
it may not be classified as a completely legitimate process. Although
in theory the American system calls for one vote per ...

The U.S. - A Legitimate Democracy?

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