Democracy is about representation and cooperation, not partisanship, writes Kris O’Daniel. Had the founders gone down the path of extreme partisanship that we are on today, there would not have been a new nation. (Getty Images)
Despite my 28 years in the United States, my Danish roots continue to shape my perspective, and the claim that the U.S. is the greatest democracy in the world often leaves me with a sense of disbelief — a disbelief that resonates in many corners of the world.
The alarmingly low voter turnout, with little over half of the registered citizens participating in general elections and less than a fifth in primaries, is a stark indicator that our democracy is in crisis. The influence of hundreds of millions of corporate and dark money dollars in campaign ads strongly suggests that money is more important than voters. The United States has many wonderful things, but extreme partisanship makes the U.S. look dysfunctional.
Unlike countries we like for comparison, the U.S. electoral system has stayed frozen in time and not embraced a democracy that represents both majority and minority voters. “Winner takes all.”
The word “democracy” is mentioned in neither the Declaration of Independence (1776) nor the Constitution (1789). Most will agree that the Founding Fathers’ focus was to protect the new colonies from the British monarchs, “tyrants and other majorities,” and the many poor and uneducated people. It was designed to further the case of individual rights for liberty, not democracy. That was similar to other European nations in those revolutionary times. They, too, feared “the unchecked people’s power.” Democracies were in their infancy.
The journey to democracy in the United States starkly contrasts with that of European nations. While they, too, emerged from costly wars to gain independence from monarchies and secular powers, they gradually realized the importance and value of all people in strengthening the welfare of the nations, above all through diverse representation.
In Denmark, indentured servants were freed in 1815. The constitution of 1849 bestowed voting rights, but only for people of status and farmland owners. There, too, was a fear of the uneducated majority; education of the rural population through “high schools” made the “cooperative movement” successful. Denmark is a dynamic democracy — around 85% of Danes vote. Compromises among coalition governments, growing Industries and unions power it. Trust is built, which is critical to Danes’ happiness.
Constitutional amendments in the U.S. have been approved, but always at a very high cost. Most importantly, slavery was abolished in1865; women got the right to vote in 1920, and Black people in 1965. But we have continued a poisoning system that amputates the power of the vote and democracy itself.
The political redistricting of congressional districts that maps out each state with the sole purpose of securing a safe majority makes voting pointless for the minority as it will have no representation. That does not stimulate voting. It also discourages the much-needed healthy competition and injection of new candidates. Adding representation of minority groups is democracy; the House would truly become the House of Representatives.
Members of the U.S. House today “represent” 761,000 people on average versus 469,000 people 50 years ago thanks to a “hard ceiling” of 435 representatives. The two Senate seats per state today leave residents of large states extremely underrepresented compared to thos e in small states. Today, the 10 smallest states have 3% of the population, but their 20 senators control 20% of the voting power in the Senate. The Electoral College’s construction further amplifies the imbalance of representation since each state’s electors are the sum of congressional districts plus two Senate seats. The Electoral College supersedes the national majority, allowing the losing side to win presidential elections.
Democracy is about representation and cooperation, not partisanship; we owe that to our forefathers. Had they let themselves go down the path of extreme partisanship that we are on today, there would not have been a new nation. We cannot now call ourselves the greatest democracy in the world.. Some ask, “Are we heading for another civil war, or can we make civil peace?”