American Democracy – Part 1
Do We Have Any Idea What We Stand to Lose?
Welcome to the Civic Way journal, our quick take on the relevance of breaking news to America’s future governance. The author, Bob Melville, is the founder of Civic Way, a nonprofit dedicated to good government, and a management consultant with over 45 years of experience improving public agencies.
Some may disagree, but somehow this moment in our nation’s history seems unique. Even in the years preceding our Civil War, as the bitterness between the Free and Slave States boiled over, election results mattered.
Today, with millions of Americans refusing to accept election results and other facts they find inconsistent with their world views, we’re on the precipice of a tragic—maybe even an irrevocable—loss. The loss of our democracy.
The US is not a direct democracy but, despite what some politicians argue, it is a representative one. Our founders selected the representative form over direct democracy because they believed it would be a better fit for a large, growing nation like the US. Whether a democracy is direct or representative, it is still a democracy. Both forms derive their legitimacy from the people.
As our ancestors discovered, democracy is fragile, requiring constant care and fine-tuning. Democracy has always depended on our collective willingness to accept disagreeable outcomes, consider divergent views and reconcile conflicts. When that resolve wanes, the entire system can unravel.
When we cannot agree on foundational principles or incontestable facts, we cannot find common cause. When we don’t view elections as the best way to right wrongs, we find other, less democratic ways. When we can no longer agree on when the sun has set, we can no longer assume that the sun will rise again on America’s democracy.
Our founders bestowed us a democracy for other nations to emulate, an idea worth protecting. Generations have fought and died for the American Idea, yet many of us seem all too willing to forsake it. In a recent CNN poll, conducted after the 2021 Capitol Coup, less than half of all Democrats and Independents (and far fewer Republicans) perceived any threats to our democracy.
If our democracy perishes, many Americans could share responsibility for its loss.
Some Americans are so zealous about one cause (or person) they cannot see the risks. Under the guise of lazy slogans and incendiary rhetoric, the angry and gullible, led by demagogues and con artists, insist on changing the elections they lost. Convinced of their entitlement to victory, they appear willing to follow shameless hustlers to democracy’s end.
Unable to accept defeat, they convince themselves they won the one election they lost (in the swing states they lost). In desperation, like Wack-a-Mole, they spin preposterous new conspiracy theories about stolen presidential election as quickly as the old theories are discredited.
There are others who revere the Constitution. Who remain troubled by the ugly partisanship. Who are still sickened by the assault on the US Capitol. Who loathe the interminable whining about the 2020 election. However, unable to suspend their ideological or partisan affiliations, they hold their noses and vote for candidates they know will put self-interest first and our democracy at risk.
There are other Americans who believe that our democracy is already gone. That we have a democracy in name only. That it is too late to reverse our slide to authoritarianism.
They highlight anti-democratic constitutional curbs like the Electoral College or the state allocation of US Senator seats. They point to the Citizens United decision and the rising domination of the nominating process by the wealthiest Americans. They single out the subtle realignment of candidates and elected officials with interest group and large donor views (i.e., the Lean Green shape-shifting of politicians).
Finally, there are the millions of disconnected Americans. The alienated or apathetic citizens who simply don’t care to get involved. Who see little if any value in our representative democracy. Who don’t vote or even register to vote. Who find lame excuses to justify their indifference and neglect (e.g., “all politicians are the same”). Who seem willing to let our democracy wither.
Will we squander the great gift we were given? Will we lazily allow the government and freedoms for which our ancestors fought to slip away? Will we abandon democracy, arguably the single best system for solving the problems that threaten our future?
Perhaps we should look to Ukraine for inspiration. In the face of overwhelming odds and at unimaginable costs, the Ukrainian people have (thus far) heroically resisted a brutal, autocratic invader. The Ukrainian fight for independence shows us what we can do when we realize what we have to lose.
Like the Ukrainians, we can fight for our democracy. We can improve our elections. We can end partisan primaries and gerrymandering. We can alter the way we fund campaigns and reduce the influence of big money. We can make voting more convenient. We can test ranked choice voting. We can make elections more open and competitive.
But first we must realize what we could lose. And for that we can look to a former Trump fan.
On January 12th, Stephen Ayres, an Ohioan who participated in the January 6th Capitol Coup, testified before Congress. After sharing his story (and remorse), he advised other Big Lie disciples, “Take the blinders off, and make sure you step back and see what’s going on before it’s too late.”
That is advice we all should take.