The "Real Gist" of Democracy

“Democracy is a word, the real gist of which still sleeps, quite unawakened. It is a great word whose history, I suppose, remains unwritten, because that history has yet to be enacted.” ~ Walt Whitman

This quotation is from Democratic Vistas, which was published in 1871. Whitman’s assertion that the history of democracy “has yet to be enacted” might be confusing to anyone who was taught in school that ancient Athens was the “Cradle of Democracy” and that America sparked a rebirth of democracy in 1776 with our Declaration of Independence and subsequent victory in the American Revolution.

Whitman is clearly implying that ancient Athens and America at its founding were not true democracies. His statement that “the real gist” of democracy “still sleeps, quite unawakened”, implies that that most people, at that time, did not truly understand what it means to call a government a democracy. The same could be said of many people today. Democracy is a word that is often used a bit too casually and sometimes deliberately misused.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

Democracy has, and has always had, a great many false friends and true enemies who have actively, relentlessly, and successfully sought to prevent people from developing a shared understanding of democracy or even agree upon a clear definition of democracy.

The work of making a community, state, or nation a Perfect Democracy begins with Politically Active Citizens agreeing on a clear definition of democracy and developing a shared understanding of the elements that make a government a true democracy, as well as the additional characteristics needed to make a government a Perfect Democracy.

Defining Democracy

George Orwell addressed the problem of defining democracy in his essay “Politics and the English Language” (1946). He made the point that "the great enemy of clear language is insincerity”, resulting from “a gap between one's real and one's declared aims”. In that context, he identified some political words that have been “abused” to the point that they have “several different meanings which cannot be reconciled with one another”. Regarding democracy, he said:

“In the case of a word like democracy, not only is there no agreed definition, but the attempt to make one is resisted from all sides. It is almost universally felt that when we call a country democratic, we are praising it: consequently, the defenders of every kind of regime claim that it is a democracy, and fear that they might have to stop using that word if it were tied down to any one meaning.”

It is true that democracy has come to mean different things to different people but attempts to define democracy are not “resisted from all sides” – only by the defenders of other kinds of regimes – the false friends and true enemies of democracy.

George Orwell (1903-1950)

For anyone who is sincere and feels no need to hide their real aims, defining “democracy” is a simple matter. The word is derived from the Greek word demokratia, which was formed from two other Greek words: demos (meaning “the people”) and kratia (which means “have power”). A democratic government, therefore, is one in which the people have power. Another Greek word – kratos, which means “to rule” – is also relevant here. In a democracy, the people rule.

While the false friends and true enemies of democracy may continue to disagree, there has been some agreement regarding the definition of democracy.

Unitarian minister and abolitionist Theodore Parker, in a sermon titled “The effect of slavery on the American people”, which he delivered on July 4, 1858, stated that “Democracy is direct self-government, over all the people, by all the people, for all the people.”

Abraham Lincoln’s law partner, William Herndon, shared a copy of that sermon with Lincoln, who made note of that phrase and later incorporated a modified version of it in his Gettysburg Address, famously describing democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people”. Although Lincoln did not use the word democracy in his Gettysburg address, he popularized this definition.

We can define democracy even more succinctly. Government of the people is a given. The people of every nation are governed. Government being “for the people” is rare. Most governments around the world throughout history have served the private interests of a ruling class or powerful elite rather than the common interest. If we want government of the people to be government for the people, we must have government by the people.

DEMOCRACY IS GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE.

Armed with a clear definition of democracy, we can turn our attention to developing -

Locke used the term “perfect democracy” in the same way the term “pure democracy” is sometimes used to describe direct democracy.

In a direct democracy every adult member of a community, state, or nation who wants to be politically active has an equal vote and can vote directly as political decisions are made, with the votes of the majority determining the form of the government, the “just powers” of the government, the laws that are enacted, and the public policies that are put in place.

Majority Rule

The word “majority” appears frequently throughout Locke’s Second Treatise. He identified majority rule as the essential element that puts the “form” of “a perfect democracy” in place. His support for majority rule was unequivocal.

Locke asserted that “the majority (have) the whole power of the community naturally in them” because “every man, by consenting with others to make one body politic under one government, puts himself under an obligation, to everyone of that society, to submit to the determination of the majority, and to be concluded by it.”

Numerous other political philosophers have since concurred, including some of the most prominent figures among America’s Founders. Thomas Jefferson, whole-heartedly endorsed majority rule, stating that, “It is my principle that the will of the majority should always prevail.”

Locke also identified two other elements of a true democracy that flow from majority rule: an equal vote (or equal representation) for every citizen and the supremacy of the legislative power.

An Equal Vote and/or Equal Representation

It is impossible to accurately determine the will of the majority unless every citizen has an equal vote and/or equal representation. Locke stressed the importance of maintaining “a state…of equality wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another.

If the people decide to delegate the power to enact laws, he emphasized that “it being the interest as well as intention of the people, to have a fair and equal representative; whoever brings it nearest to that, is an undoubted friend to, and establisher of the government.”

The Supremacy of the Legislative Power

Locke stated that “there can be but one supreme power, which is the legislative, to which all the rest are and must be subordinate.” The supremacy of the legislative power is established and maintained by having the laws that are made by the people executed by “officers of their own appointing”.

A Perfect Democracy

Majority rule, an equal vote and/or equal representation for all, and the supremacy of the legislative power make a government a true democracy and put the form of a Perfect Democracy in place. But democracy and majority rule, in and of themselves, are no guarantee of good government.

Several additional elements must be in place to make a government a Perfect Democracy: Among the citizens who choose to be politically active, a majority must be well-educated, well-informed, and, most importantly, must respect the rights of others. In other words, a majority of politically active citizens must understand and agree that (as Locke put it) “The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom”.

The argument could be made that for a government to be a Perfect Democracy, in the strictest sense of the term, all Politically Active Citizens must be well-educated, well-informed, and respectful of the rights of others. However, just as Locke pointed out that democracies act upon “the consent of the majority” because “it is impossible” to obtain the “the consent of every individual”, we may bestow the honorific of “Perfect Democracy” on a government where most of the citizens who choose to be politically active are well-educated, well-informed, respect the rights of others, and consistently govern in the common interest.

Democracy in America?

Once upon a time...

John Locke wrote a book that changed the world. Not immediately. And not as much as it could have or should have, but a book that changed the world, nonetheless. Prior to the publication of Locke’s Second Treatise of Government in 1689, political philosophers had generally considered a monarchy or an aristocracy to be the best form of government.

Although ancient Athens is often referred to as “The Cradle of Democracy” none of its three most well-known political philosophers - Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle – were fond of democracy because they believed those who shared power should be wise and virtuous and they considered wisdom and virtue to be extremely rare.

Thomas Hobbes described life in the state of nature as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” and “a war of every man against every man” and argued that to escape this condition, people, seeking peace, should form a commonwealth by joining together under an “agreement or contract…by which they all renounced their rights” and “transferred” them to an absolute monarch.

John Locke (1632-1704)

John Locke had a more generous view of human nature. A deeply spiritual man, he placed both individual liberty and political power within a moral framework informed by his theories regarding life in the state of Nature. He stated, as “self-evident” truths, that “all men by nature are equal”, endowed by God with natural rights to “life, health, liberty, (and) possessions”; that “the end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom”, and that “the consent of the people” is the only “lawful basis” for government. [Emphasis in original.]

If these ideas sound familiar, it’s because they were immortalized by Thomas Jefferson, who was clearly inspired by Locke as he wrote the Declaration of Independence, which included a concise summary of Locke’s ideas:

Those ideas were revolutionary. Demonstrably so. They provided the inspiration and the justification for the American Revolution. They have been inspiring people around the world ever since. Ratified by victory in our war for independence, they triggered what Thomas Paine called "a Revolution in the principles and practice of Governments”.

That Revolution remains incomplete. Although it is now “almost universally felt that when we call a country democratic, we are praising it”, many countries that claim to be democracies fall far short of being true democracies. And sadly, that includes the United States. Although our nation was founded on the democratic ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence, our government is not as democratic as many Americans believe it to be. None of the elements that make a government a true democracy are fully in place within our political system.

We do have a legitimate claim to being the first nation to implement Locke’s ideas (however imperfectly) and establish a government that provided a real-world test of the concept of government by the people. Most Americans also believe that our government is the most democratic in the world, the greatest democracy in the history of the world, and that other nations have modeled their constitutions on ours. The facts do not back up these other well-known examples of American exceptionalism. And the source of the flaws in our version of democracy can be traced to a very unlikely source -

The Constitution of the United States

There is a great deal of discussion these days about how democracy is under assault in America. That is true. It is also true that democracy is always under assault – anytime and anywhere it manages to take root and blossom. The most successful assault on democracy in American history took place over a long, hot summer in Philadelphia in 1787, as fifty-five men, all of them wealthy (by the standards of the day), many of them slaveowners, drafted the Constitution of the United States.

The Federal Convention of 1787 commenced on the 25th day of May and concluded on the 17th day of September, nearly four months later. As the delegates engaged in lengthy, detailed discussions regarding the best form of government and how power and representation should be apportioned within the government they would propose, the pros and cons of democracy were hotly debated. That portion of the deliberations constituted the one of the greatest and most consequential debates on democracy that has ever been conducted. Democracy lost. Nineteen of the delegates spoke out strongly against democracy. Only four delegates spoke out in support of democracy. Most of the remaining delegates sided with the opponents of democracy when votes were taken. Many of the flaws that continue to plague democracy in America two and a half centuries later can be traced to the fact that most of the delegates to the convention that drafted our Constitution were strongly opposed to democracy.

There is much to admire in our Constitution. The Preamble is a concise and powerful summation of what many people consider to be the proper role of government. The first ten amendments to our Constitution, commonly known as the Bill of Rights, expanded and codified the rights our government was to secure and protect. The freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment, freedom of speech and the press, freedom of religion, and the right to assemble and petition the government, are especially important. Most of the additional amendments that have been made to our Constitution have made our government more democratic. But the body of our Constitution, the part put in place by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, is riddled with antidemocratic provisions including a thoroughly antidemocratic amendment process that has made it nearly impossible to alter or remove the other antidemocratic provisions.

As a result -

There have been, and are, many other countries in the world that are more “democratic” than the United States.

The Intelligence Unit of The Economist began publishing a Democracy Index annually in 2006, ranking the nations of the world in terms of the state of democracy in each country. Nations are given numerical scores on a total of 60 indicators and grouped into four categories based on their average score: full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes, and authoritarian regimes. Of the 167 countries included in the 2022 Democracy Index (the most recent), there were 24 full democracies and 48 flawed democracies. The United States has never been ranked as the most democratic country in the world, fell out of the full democracies category in 2016, and is currently ranked among the flawed democracies, as the 30th most democratic country in the world.

With that being the case, it should come as no surprise that -

No other nations have constitutions modeled on ours.

That fact that no other nations have modeled their constitutions on ours was thoroughly documented by Robert Dahl in his book How Democratic is the American Constitution? (2001):

“Among the countries most comparable to the United States and where democratic institutions have long existed without breakdown, not one has adopted our American constitutional system. It would be fair to say that without a single exception they have all rejected it.”

There are numerous provisions embedded in our Constitution that are in direct conflict with the basic principles of democracy, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence (and elsewhere).

Dahl cites one example after another where other nations have learned from our mistakes. It is time for us to do the same.

Making America a Perfect Democracy

Given the grim reality of politics-as-usual in America today, many people may consider the idea of making America a Perfect Democracy to be hopelessly idealistic. It is idealistic. It is not hopeless. Our nation was founded upon democratic ideals. When we unite in support of our ideals, we will find that we (the People) already have all the power we need to enact two elegantly simple, yet incredibly powerful, pro-democracy reforms that will alter the form of our government and make America a Perfect Democracy.

Perfect Democracy Amendments

In a Perfect Democracy, the citizens of a community, state, or nation should be able to propose legislation through the initiative anytime it appears likely that a legislature has failed to enact legislation that is supported by most of the citizens. And that legislation should be approved or rejection by a simple majority of voters in a referendum. Citizens should also be able to call veto referendums anytime it appears likely that a legislature has enacted legislation that does not have the support of most of the citizens. (With a simple majority required to reject such legislation.)

Twenty-six states already have provisions for referendums and/or the initiative in their constitutions. But the process involved in calling referendums and using the initiative is far more difficult than it should be (in every state). And some states require antidemocratic super-majorities for approval of legislation put on the ballot through the initiative. There are no provisions for referendums or the initiative at the federal level or in twenty-four states.

Perfect Democracy Amendments will make it easier to call referendums and use the initiative in the states that already provide for them and will extend the use of referendums and the initiative to the federal government and the states that do not yet have provisions for them.

The two most obvious ways to make it easier to call referendums and use the initiative are by allowing citizens to “sign” petitions electronically (by submitting Statements of Support through Online Accounts for Politically Active Citizens) or by reducing the number of signatures required to call a referendum or put a proposal on the ballot. We could also allow a super-minority of the members of a legislative body to call for veto referendums or put proposals on the ballot by signing a resolution.

Learn More About Perfect Democracy Amendments

Proxies for Citizens

A government with a system of representation is only a “representative democracy” if all the elements of a true democracy are in place. Citizens must have “equal representation” and the will of a majority of the people must be reflected in the acts of representative assemblies. This is best accomplished by utilizing some form of proportional representation.

In the most recent “Democracy Index” (2023) published by The Economist, the United States is ranked as the 29th most democratic nation in the world. The primary reason twenty-eight countries were considered more democratic than the United States is that they elect members of their representative assemblies using various forms of “proportional representation”. Forty of the forty-three nations that are part of Europe use some form of proportional representation.

The “Ordered Party List” is the most common form of proportional representation. Political parties put together an ordered list of their candidates. Voters vote for political parties rather than individual candidates and each party is awarded a percentage of the seats in a legislative body equal to the percentage of the overall vote it receives.

In America, efforts have been underway for more than thirty years to move to a system of electing legislators using ranked choice voting, combined with multiple-member districts. Although ranked choice voting has been adopted in two states and about fifty local governments, multiple-member districts (which are necessary to make ranked choice voting a form of proportional representation) have not been incorporated as part of the system.

The term “proxy” refers to both a form giving a designated person the authority to represent you, especially in voting, and the person to whom you give that authorization. When you assign your proxy to someone, you authorize them to vote on your behalf and they then act as your proxy.

Implementing systems of Proxies for Citizens will instantly transform Congress and state legislatures into truly democratic institution and bring a system of representation as close as possible to Perfect Democracy.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PROXIES FOR CITIZENS

Perfecting Democracy in the 21st Century

The primary flaw in the versions of democracy that were in place in ancient Athens and in America at the time of our nation's founding, was the fact that participation in civic affairs was severely limited. Women were not allowed to vote or hold office. Systems of slavery were in place and slaves were not allowed to vote. Not even all males were allowed to vote. In Athens, only those born to Athenian parents were allowed to vote. In America there were additional requirements to vote or hold office, generally involving a minimum net worth or ownership of a minimum amount of property.

John Locke knew the form of government he was proposing (direct democracy) was best suited for communities, rather than large nation-states. He also believed that if the majority chose to “put the power of making laws into the hands of a few select men”, the government would be an “oligarchy” (and no longer have the form of a perfect democracy).

The people of America, at our nation’s founding, were spread over a relatively large expanse of territory. It was clearly impossible for the people to all meet in one place to make political decisions. There was no realistic alternative to implementing a system of representation, but the system that was put in place was antidemocratic by design.

Technological developments soon made it possible to conduct referendums without the need for all citizens to meet in one place at the same time and made democracy a more appealing form of government. The invention of the printing press made written materials more affordable and made it possible for knowledge and information to be broadly shared. Along with the introduction of public education, the percentage of the population that was literate and well-informed increase significantly. These developments eventually led to the introduction of two powerful forms of direct democracy could be introduced - referendums and the initiative.

Modern technology has now made it possible for people to share thoughts and ideas across vast spaces of time and place in additional ways – through audio and video recordings and the Internet. We need to do a better job of utilizing these technological advances, especially the Internet, to facilitate respectful and constructive discussions about issues that will be voted on in referendums.

The fact that conflict and heated exchanges draw listeners and viewers, and that ratings drive profits, has led to a great deal of anger, fear, and hatred being (most of it generated by misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies) being pumped into the airwaves and onto the Internet. Calm, rational, and serious discussions of the problems we face as a nation and conflicts that need to be resolved, will never be able to draw as many listeners and viewers. That doesn't mean we should not make every effort to counter misinformation and disinformation with useful information; counter lies with powerful doses of Truth; and counter conspiracy theories (with no basis in reality) with a reality that is conducive to people succeeding in their pursuit of happiness.

Minor Changes with Major Benefits

In a survey conducted in 2021, 85% of Americans surveyed agreed that we need to completely reform or make major changes to our political system. Of course, many people say they want change but get nervous and hesitant when confronted with specific proposals for changes. Enacting Perfect Democracy Amendments and implementing systems of Proxies for Citizens are minor changes with major benefits. They will change our system no more than necessary to make America a Perfect Democracy.

These reforms are foundational. Enacting either one, or both, of these reforms will put the form of a Perfect Democracy in place and put the foundation of a Perfect Democracy in place, by empowering the people of a state (and ultimately the people of America) to enact additional reforms and pass all of the legislation needed to address a host of critical issues that have gone unaddressed for far too long due to the corruption and dysfunction that have kept our government from being a true democracy.

These reforms are transformative. Perfect Democracy Amendments shift power to the people directly. Implementing systems of Proxies for Citizens will shift power to the people indirectly by shifting power within representative assemblies to the members who best represent the will of the people. That will transform Congress and state legislatures into truly democratic institutions.

Join the Campaign

All that is necessary to Make America a Perfect Democracy is for enough Politically Active Citizens to do something.

Communication is vital within a broad-based grassroots movement and to make direct democracy as effective as possible in a nation as large as the United States. To facilitate communication, we encourage you to provide your email address, join the “Government by the People” group on Facebook, and follow “Government by the People” on X.

A political action committee (Perfect Democracy) has been formed to finance and facilitate the implementation of this plan. The acronym PAC ordinarily stands for "Political Action Committee". Perfect Democracy is developing a different kind of PAC - a broad-based and inclusive movement of "Politically Active Citizens".

BE A CHAMPION OF DEMOCRACY - TAKE ACTION - JOIN THE CAMPAIGN

FYI: Two Ballotpedia Podcasts About Initiatives

Citizen Initiatives: The history of giving power to the people

The initiative process has its roots in a time of upheaval, over a century ago, when the balance of power in the U.S. was shifting in dramatic ways. Big business was booming, railroads and corporations were gaining immense influence, and many Americans felt that their government no longer worked for them. From these frustrations, a radical idea emerged: What if citizens didn’t have to wait for politicians to act? What if they could draft proposals for their own laws, gather support from their neighbors, and force them onto the ballot? On this episode, four experts on ballot initiatives are interviewed for a special deep dive into the history and modern debate around citizen initiated ballot measures.

How State Legislatures Could Change Election Laws This Year.

A preview what we’re looking out for this year when it comes to election-related legislation and take a break from all of the presidential and federal news that’ll unfold this week.

About This Website

To raise the money necessary to put the ideas shared on this website into practice, a Super PAC - Perfect Democracy - has been organized. Super PACs are technically known as "Social Welfare Organizations". We intend to live up to both the letter and the spirit of that designation. We are a fundamentally different type of PAC. Although we will need to raise money to support our efforts, the campaign to Make America a Perfect Democracy will be powered by Politically Active Citizens.

This website is intended to serve as a resource and an organizational and informational hub for Politically Active Citizens who want to work together to Make America a Perfect Democracy.

This website presents a detailed plan for putting the form of a Perfect Democracy in place in every state that makes up the United States and transforming Congress and state legislatures into truly democratic institutions. The plan is complete but is open to modification based on input from the Politically Active Citizens who choose to get involved in the movement to implement the plan and in response to events as they unfold.

Most of the material on this website is adapted from a soon-to-be published book (Government by the People: A Citizens’ Guide to Making America a Perfect Democracy by Winston Apple).

The material on this website is adapted from a soon to be published book: Government by the People: A Citizen's Guide to Making America a Perfect Democracy by Winston Apple.

Permission is granted to share with proper attribution. All Rights are Reserved.

This website is paid for by Perfect Democracy - a 501(c)4 political action committee.

Government by the People