What Would I Do to Improve Democracy?

The key to democracy is choice. Choosing your leaders, making decisions on the laws that affect your life, democracy as a governing system is giving people the right to choose. However, this right of choice is not always what it should be within a democratic system, the United State’s government being a prime example of that.

In our current system people have the ability to choose, between two options. For most people, particularly those among my generation this is not a choice we feel comfortable with as the current two-party system is often not reflective of our views in a comprehensive manner, and has led to nearly constant legislative gridlock for the majority of my life that I can remember. In order to improve democracy, I believe we need to open our government up to a multi-party system like every other democracy in the world.

This can be achieved through numerous methods such as ranked choice voting, changes made to campaign finance laws and requirements, and changes made to the requirements for a candidate being placed on a ballot. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it best, “If this were any other country Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party,” so why should we force them to be? The two have radically different views on policy yet fall under the same democratic umbrella. The key to improving democracy in the US is to give a true choice to voters through a multi-party system, not a false or forced choice through a two-party system.

Why Democracy Matters for Me

Democracy is one of the cornerstones of the United States. Politically, philosophically, and culturally no greater influence can be seen on American society than our adherence and admiration for the principles of democracy upon which our founding fathers built our constitution.

Democracy is the only form of government in which the people governed have a say in their own governance, and the importance of this fact cannot be stressed enough. People, regardless of their wealth, their freedom of movement, or any other freedoms they may be granted by their government, are not truly free so long as they have no say in their government, in the decisions made at the highest levels that will affect their lives.

It is for these reasons that I value democracy both at home and abroad, and I will continue to uphold these principles and values of a democratic system of government so long as I am able.