“The people who join with their neighbors to settle common problems and disputes will learn the importance of cooperation, feel a strong attachment to their community, and develop those “habits of the heart” which lead them to identify their own welfare with the welfare of the community as a whole.” (Ball and Dagger 36)
I believe this is one of the biggest demands that democracy has on people. People must be willing to communicate with their neighbors. If they don’t they become an outcast from society. People must hear the views of their neighbors in order to educate themselves. And as Ball and Dagger say of Tocquevilles belief, “By offering all citizens the opportunity to participate, democracy promises to cultivate a widespread and deeply rooted devotion to the common good” (36)
Another very important demand on citizens is there political participation. One of the easiest and most important ways people can become politically involved is by voting. Every citizen has a chance to choose who they feel should be in office. People must choose the people they feel will do the best job and have views most similar to theirs. But political involvement is not simply voting, citizens must be involved on all levels of government National, State and local. This as Mill believed, “will educate and improve people by teaching them discipline, sharpening their intelligence, and even shaping their morality.” (36)
Mill believed that although democracy is rule by the people, “they must be willing to respect the rights and liberties of the individuals who compose society”. (Ball and Dagger 13) This is one of the greatest advantages to a democracy. The idea that everybody was created equal. That no man is greater than the any other. These beliefs have shaped our nation into what it is today.
Democracy demands the citizens know their rights given to them under the constitution and that they make sure that others know their rights. Individuals must not allow for government to put sanctions on rights granted to them under the constitution. Citizens must also use every right they have, for example the freedom of speech. People should let others know if they feel that their government is not acting in a appropriate matter or not doing the duties they feel they should.
In order for democracy to work efficiently it is very important that citizens under that constitution follow laws. If citizens are disobeying laws then it makes it even harder on the rest of the citizens who are following them. This is because it cost the other citizens both time and money with court cost, juror duty, etc.… It also sets a bad example both to citizens in our country and those of other countries.
There is many ways in which these political practices are served in the United States. One of which is the system of checks and balances which our three different areas of government take on. This makes ensures that our government remains a democracy. We also have the rights given to us under the Constitution which allows the freedoms that allow us to communicate with other citizens. We have the freedom of press which allows up to communicate with mass amounts of people what we feel without fear of prosecution.
I do believe we do have organizations allowed under the declaration of independence which would subvert from the beliefs of both Mill and Tocqueville. A good example of one of these organizations would be the KKK. This organization believes are those of which were allowed during the times of slavery, which has been abolished in all states. Although people in these organizations have that right granted to them under the constitution it is clearly a belief that is accepted by the majority now.
As voting rights have changed into what they have become today this has helped to serve the political practices. Now that everybody over the age of 18, as long as they are citizens and registered to vote, they can vote. This as I said before is one of the most important concepts of Democracy. This truly gives every single person and equal chance to decide who they want to represent them. And with the evolution of computers people are finding it easier and more convenient every year to vote.
The spawn of the Internet has allowed people to access information never accessible before. Government documents, peoples criminal records, tax information, National, state and local government information. This allows every person the ability to inform themselves allowing them to go out and share with others who don’t know the information. It allows them to make decisions on political candidates and find out information about their neighbors. Not only the Internet, but the mass media has served democratic citizenship. People know that if they break laws others will find out, either through paper, news, Internet or telephone. Mass media allows citizens to hold others accountable and themselves.
There is no doubt that what democracy has turned into was not what the founding fathers had thought it to be. Democracy was once thought to be the worst way to rule a country, but now it is the most popular. Nobody ever could have expected it to become what it has. Our nation is a democracy run by the citizens. And every citizen must fulfill the demands of the democracy in order for it to survive.
Works Sited
Ball, Terence and Dagger, Richard. Ideals and Ideologies, A Reader. 4th ed. Longman 2002
Ball, Terence and Dagger, Richard. Ideals and Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal. 4th ed. Longman 2002