Vote to Protect American Democracy

By: Dominica R. Convertino

Virtually every election cycle, we hear the seemingly-eternal truism: “this is the most important election of our lifetimes.” Some may find this rhetoric hyperbolic. When considering the many looming crises facing the United States, others find this recurring sense of urgency entirely justifiable.

It is safe to say that every single American has, at some point, taken for granted our system of representative democracy. We often forget that our nation operates under the oldest written and codified constitution that is still in effect today. We wrongly assume that the structural and institutional protections put in place by our nation’s founders are infallible and self-sustaining. We naïvely take democracy as given, when really, it is an incredible privilege that requires a collective will to maintain.

In recent years, as previously-untested boundaries have been pushed without consequence, the fragility of our federal government’s structural norms has become unnervingly evident.

For a representative democracy to thrive, voters must actively participate in elections, and elected officials must remain accountable to the voters they serve. This ideal is quintessentially American; but in practice, it can often feel out of reach.

Recent studies on the state of American democracy have yielded disconcerting results. In America today, most voters indicate that they do not see an adequate representation of their beliefs reflected in their government.[1] This trend is not merely anecdotal. A comprehensive analysis of the modern American political system found that “[n]ot only do ordinary citizens not have uniquely substantial power over policy decisions; they have little or no independent influence on policy at all.”[2] The reasons are clear: compared to average American citizens, special interest groups are far more active and spend far more money in our political system. As a result, they “tend to get their way.”[3]

While devastating, these findings are hardly shocking. Americans have largely become accustomed to the notion that our political system is heavily influenced by special interest groups, many of which spend millions of dollars each election cycle.[4]

Despite the extreme inequality of financial influence in our system, a transcendent equalizer — fundamental to the American system of governance — remains intact: “One person, one vote.”

In recent decades, Americans have experienced a dwindling sense of trust in our system of government, a lack of political efficacy (the belief that one’s vote will have an effect on government outcomes), and a near-ubiquitous detachment from all things deemed “political.” This indifferent civic culture is antithetical to the active, ongoing civic engagement required to uphold the values of a free, democratic society.

While the work required to protect and improve upon our constitutional republic can — and certainly does — feel exhausting, we must resist the urge to grow apathetic. We have a duty to our communities, our loved ones, and ourselves to remain informed and engaged. We should be unabashed and unwavering in our defense of the rights and liberties of those who are most vulnerable in our society. We must vote, not just in our interests, but in the collective goodwill of those around us.

After all, the very ideal of American democracy is on the ballot in 2020, and an abiding commitment to free and fair democratic participation is the most patriotic declaration we can make in its defense.

Click here to make a plan to vote.

Sources:

[1] Pew Research Center, November, 2015, “Beyond Distrust: How Americans View Their Government.”

[2] Gilens, M., & Page, B. (2014). “Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens.” Perspectives on Politics, 12(3), 564–581.

[3] Id.

[4] Jones, Bradley. “Most Americans Want to Limit Campaign Spending.” Pew Research Center, May 30, 2020.