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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.
Our Nation was Founded on Democratic Ideals
It is not hopeless.
When we, the people, of the United States, unite in support of these ideals, we will find that we already have all the power we need to make America a Perfect Democracy. But first, we must develop a shared understanding of democracy and how and why we have fallen short of our ideals.
Our government is not as democratic as most Americans believe it to be.
We are taught in school that our nation was the birthplace of democracy in the modern world, that our government is the most democratic government in the world and the greatest democracy in the history of the world, and that most other democratic nations have modeled their constitutions on ours.
We do have a legitimate claim to being the birthplace of democracy in the modern world. The Declaration of Independence, ratified by victory in the American Revolution, transformed thirteen British colonies into “Free and Independent States” that were “Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown” and sparked “a Revolution in the Principles and practice of governments”.
The facts do not back up those other examples of American exceptionalism.
There have been, and are, many other countries in the world that are more democratic than the United States.
The Democracy Index, which has been published annually since 2006 by The Economist ranks 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.
The United States has never been ranked as the most democratic country in the world, has been classified as a flawed democracy since 2016, and is currently ranked as the 28th most democratic country in the world.
No other nations have modeled their constitutions on ours
In his book How Democratic is the American Constitution? Robert Dahl thoroughly documented that fact. He concluded that, “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. Without a single exception they have all rejected it.”
Dahl’s answer to the question posed in the title of his book? Our Constitution is not very democratic.
There is much to admire in our Constitution.
The Preamble is a concise and somewhat lyrical summation of what most of us 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 of the press, freedom of religion, and the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances, 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 filled with antidemocratic provisions that are in direct conflict with the basic principles of democracy, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence (and elsewhere), including a thoroughly antidemocratic amendment process that has made it nearly impossible to alter or remove the other antidemocratic provisions.
Dahl cited one example after another where other nations have learned from our mistakes. It is time for us to learn from (and build on) their successes.
We can make America a Perfect Democracy by enacting -
Two Elegantly Simple, Yet Incredibly Powerful, Pro-Democracy Reforms: Perfect Democracy Amendments and Proxies for Citizens
The primary reason most of the countries that are considered more democratic than the United States score higher than us in the Democracy Index is that they make more extensive use of referendums and elect members of their representative assemblies using proportional representation.
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 rejected 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 in every one of those states, the process involved in calling referendums and using the initiative is far more difficult than it should be. There are no provisions for referendums or the initiative in twenty-four states or in the Constitution of the United States.
The details of Perfect Democracy Amendments will vary from state to state and at the federal level, but in general, 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 to 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 reducing the number of signatures required to call a referendum or put a proposal on the ballot; or by allowing citizens to “sign” petitions electronically (online). The European Union has allowed citizens to sign initiative petitions electronically since 2011.
Proxies for Citizens is a new and improved form of proportional representation that is both simpler and far more powerful than the ordered party list system or ranked choice voting.
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.
A “proxy” is a form that authorizes someone else to act on your behalf, especially in voting. The best way to ensure that all Politically Active Citizens have fair and equal representation is to implement systems of Proxies for Citizens that give everyone who is eligible to vote the right to assign a proxy to any one member of each legislative body that governs them, and then allows each member of that legislative body to cast a number of votes equal to the number of proxies they have been assigned (plus one for themselves). Citizens should be able to reassign their proxies at any time. That will allow Politically Active Citizens to vote (albeit indirectly) on every issue of concern to them. Citizens should be able to assign and reassign proxies online or by submitting a paper form.
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 yet put the form of a Perfect Democracy in place.
These reforms are foundational.
Enacting either one, or both, of these reforms will empower the people of a state (and ultimately the people of America) to enact additional reforms and pass all 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 Perfect 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.
We have the right to alter the form of our government.
There is one other Right mentioned in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence – our right to alter the form of our government to provide new guards for our Safety and Happiness. When we, the people, of the United States unite in support of these reforms, we will find that -
We, the people, can do more than make America great again. We will make America greater than it has ever been.
When we enact the reforms needed to make America a Perfect Democracy, we will also make America the greatest democracy in the world and the greatest democracy in the history of the world.
Which Side Are You On?
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party have long been considered the primary “teams” in our electoral and political systems. In our campaign to make America a Perfect Democracy, the “sides” are best described as Champions of Democracy versus the false friends of democracy and true enemies of democracy.
Champions of Democracy believe that all political power is (or should be) vested in and derived from the people, that governments derive their "just powers” from “the consent of the governed" and that the consent of the governed is only properly obtained when everyone who is governed by the acts of a government has an equal vote or equal representation as major political decisions are made, with the votes of the majority determining whether proposals are approved or rejected.
Champions of Democracy believe that the people of America (not Supreme Court justices or politicians who serve private interests) should decide what rights are secured and protected by a government.
Champions of Democracy support the legislation included in the Democracy Agenda.
To make America a Perfect Democracy, we need to elect Champions of Democracy to a majority of the seats in a super-majority of state legislatures and/or to a super-majority of the seats in both houses of Congress.
Democracy is Government by the People
When we unite in support of our Ideals, we will see that we already have all the power we need to Make America a Perfect Democracy.
We've been divided and we have been conquered. We've been divided into Democrats and Republicans; left wing and right wing; Liberals and conservatives. Politicians and media keep us focused on the issues that divide us: abortion, gun control, gay rights, and immigration.
Our elections have devolved into little more than never ending fundraising campaigns, punctuated at regular intervals by election campaigns that are essentially ad campaigns. Candidates are packaged and promoted like products and make promises they cannot keep within a political system that is rigged, corrupt, and broken. Checks and balances have proven to be a surefire formula for gridlock by design. Critical issues go unaddressed. Our government is not only failing to secure our rights, our government is actively infringing upon our rights.
Democracy is government by the people. In America today, what the people want doesn't matter. Governments at all levels in the United States are effectively under the control of corporate interests and tax-averse billionaires.
With we, the people, so deeply and bitterly divided, the idea of making America a perfect democracy may seem hopelessly idealistic. It is idealistic. It is not hopeless. When we unite in support of our ideals, we will find that we, the people, already have all the power we need to make the government of every state in the United States a perfect democracy. And once we succeed in making at least 2/3 of the states that make up the United States perfect democracies, it will be a simple matter to make America a perfect democracy.
We need to unite in support of two elegantly simple, yet incredibly powerful, pro-democracy reforms:
Perfect Democracy Amendments
IIn 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 rejected 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 one of those states). 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.
The details of Perfect Democracy Amendments will vary from state to state and at the federal level, but in general, 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 (one third or one fourth of the members) to call for veto referendums or put proposals on the ballot by signing a resolution.
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. The primary reason most of the twenty-seven countries that were considered more democratic than the United States scored higher than us (in the most recent Democracy Index) is that they elect members of their representative assemblies using various forms of proportional representation.
A “proxy” is both a form that authorizes someone else to act on your behalf, especially in voting and to the person to whom you assign your proxy. When you assign your proxy to someone, they act as your proxy. The best way to ensure that all Politically Active Citizens have fair and equal representation would be to implement a new and improved version of proportional representation - Proxies for Citizens - that gives every citizen the right to assign a proxy to any one member of each legislative body that governs them, and then allows each member of that legislative body to cast a number of votes equal to the number of proxies they have been assigned (plus one for themselves) on everything voted on in a legislature. Citizens should also be able to reassign their proxies at any time. That will allow Politically Active Citizens to vote (albeit indirectly) on every issue of concern to them.
Implementing systems of Proxies for Citizens will instantly transform Congress and state legislatures into truly democratic institutions and bring a system of representation as close as possible to being a Perfect Democracy.
Perfecting Democracy in the 21st Century
The political atmosphere in America in the 21st century is heavily polluted with a toxic mix of anger, hate and fear, generated by misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies, deliberately designed to provoke conflict because conflict draws listeners and viewers, which increases ratings, which increases profits. Conflict also divides us and makes it easier for corporations and billionaires to maintain control of our government. Their efforts have been very successful. We are deeply and bitterly divided. Uniting in support of democracy will heal those divisions and reunite Americans.
Calm and rational discussions of the reforms that are needed to make America a Perfect Democracy and of critical issues do not draw nearly as many listeners or viewers as angry rants and heated exchanges of opinions divorced from facts. But rational discussions are a vital part of the political process, especially in a direct democracy. We need to encourage politically active citizens to take full advantage of opportunities to participate in and listen to calm, constructive discussions designed to find common ground and build consensus. The Internet is a valuable resource in that regard.
We also need to utilize the Internet to make it easier for politically active citizens to engage in political activity. We need to establish secure Online Accounts for Politically Active Citizens that enable them to sign initiative petitions, assign and reassign proxies, and have easy access to civic education resources.
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 put the form of a Perfect Democracy in place.
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.
About This Website
This website is part of a Civic Education Project being conducted by Perfect Democracy- a non-partisan PAC. The acronym PAC stands for "Political Action Committee" and we are a political action committee, but we are a very different kind of PAC. The primary focus of most PACs is raising money and then spending that money in support of candidates. Our primary focus is on facilitating communication between Politically Active Citizens and coordinating the efforts of Politically Active Citizens who want to work together to perfect democracy in America - and in every state in the United States.
Perfecting democracy in America will require a broad-based and inclusive grassroots movement. Politically Active Citizens who agree upon a clear definition of democracy, have a shared understanding of the essential elements that make a government a Perfect Democracy, and support the pro-democracy reforms included in the Democracy Agenda must work together to get those reforms passed into law at every level of government (federal, state, and local) in America.
We are not a “membership” organization in the normal sense of that term. Although we do need to raise money to finance our operations and fund our campaign, there is no fee to pay to “join” our campaign. There are no dues to pay. To join our campaign, you simply provide your contact information.
We will provide the Politically Active Citizens who join our campaign with information about what they can do to make their state a perfect democracy. Once we have succeeded in making at least 2/3 of the states that make up the United States perfect democracies, we will be able to Make America a Perfect Democracy.
Much of the work that needs to be done can be accomplished online.
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 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: Perfecting Democracy in the 21st Century by Winston Apple).
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, if you want to join our campaign to make America a Perfect Democracy, we encourage you to provide your email address and/or cell phone number, join the “Government by the People” group on Facebook, follow “Government by the People” on X, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
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.
Content is Copyright 2025 Gary Winston Apple, unless otherwise noted..
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.