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 did change the world.
Prior to the publication of Locke’s Second Treatise in December 1689, political philosophers had generally considered a monarchy or an aristocracy to be the best form of government. Socrates and Plato 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 as “a war of every man against every man”. He 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 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”, that “the consent of the people” is the only “lawful basis” for government; and that if and when “the ill designs of the rulers become visible…the people are at liberty to provide for themselves, by erecting a new (government), differing from the other, by the change of persons, or form, or both, as they shall find it most (effective) for their safety and good.” [All emphases 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:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
These ideas were revolutionary. Demonstrably so. They inspired the American Revolution - a war that Thomas Paine later called “a Revolution in the principles and practice of Governments”. They’ve been inspiring people ever since. And yet, the political revolution inspired by Locke’s ideas remains incomplete.
The best way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is to enact the reforms that will -
America is Not a Perfect Democracy
Democracy is Government by the People.
Majority rule is the essential element of a true democracy. Common sense and observation tell us, and research confirms, that “Majorities of the American public actually have little influence over the policies our government adopts” while “economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy.” [From a study by Benjamin I. Page and Martin Gilens. As reported in their book: Democracy in America? What Has Gone Wrong and What We Can Do About It.]
Antidemocratic provisions in the body of our Constitution and flaws in the way we conduct elections have made it possible for corporate interests and billionaires to gain control of our governments at both the state and federal levels. The version of democracy in place in America at present is so deeply flawed as to be more accurately described as an oligarchy, or more specifically, as a combination of a corporatocracy and a plutocracy (government by and for corporate interests and the wealthy).
Money has become the dominant factor in our elections and has corrupted politicians at all levels of government and in both of our major political parties. Our vaunted system of "checks and balances" has made it possible for politicians representing corporate interests to consistently block legislation supported by most Americans.
Along with the frustration of not being able to get critically needed legislation enacted, a tsunami of misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies has generated toxic levels of anger, fear, and hatred, and left Americans deeply and bitterly divided. We argue angrily and endlessly about the issues that divide us. The discussion never seems to focus on the issues where we are in broad agreement. None of the conflicts that divide us are ever resolved. None of the problems we face as a nation are ever addressed effectively, despite the fact that a majority of us agree upon solutions.
Given the state of politics and civic engagement in America today, the idea of making America a Perfect Democracy may seem, to many Americans, to be hopelessly idealistic.
It is idealistic. Our nation was founded on democratic ideals, clearly stated as “self-evident” Truths in our Declaration of Independence. We are "endowed" by our Creator with equal and unalienable rights to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." The primary reason we "institute" governments is to secure and protect our rights. And governments derive their "just powers" from "the consent of the governed."
The idea of making America a Perfect Democracy is not hopeless. The “self-evident” Truths stated in our Declaration of Independence are eternal and nearly all Americans believe in them. And there is one additional right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence: Our right to “alter the form” of our government whenever we deem it necessary to effect our "Safety and Happiness.”
When we unite in support of the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence, we will find that we already have all the power we need to make America a Perfect Democracy by enacting either one (or both) of two elegantly simple, yet incredibly powerful, reforms: Personal Representation and Perfect Democracy Amendments.
Perfect Democracy Amendments
Perfect Democracy Amendments will extend the use of two powerful forms of direct democracy - referendums and the initiative - to the federal government and to the states that do not yet provide for them and will make it easier for citizens to call referendums and use the initiative in states that already have provisions for them, by allowing citizens to "sign" initiative petitions online.
Personal Representation through a system of Proxies
Implementing systems of Personal Representation will transform Congress and state legislatures into truly democratic institutions by allowing every citizen who is eligible to vote to assign proxies authorizing any one member of each legislative body that governs them to cast votes on their behalf and then give each senator and representative a number of votes equal to the number of proxies they have been assigned, plus one for themselves.
By including provisions allowing citizens to reassign their proxies at any time, we can give Politically Active Citizens the ability to vote (indirectly) on any legislation being voted on in Congress or a state legislature.
A Minor Change with Major Benefits
In a survey conducted in 2021, 85% of Americans agreed that we need to completely reform or make major changes to our political system. Most American understand that until we make America a true democracy, legislation favored by a majority of the people, but opposed by corporate interests, will continue to have little, if any, chance of being enacted. Once we make America a true democracy, all the legislation favored by a majority of the people will be passed into law.
When we enact either one of these reforms, we will do more than make America great again, we will make America greater than it has ever been. When we make America a Perfect Democracy, we will make history.
Which Side Are You On?
When we think of “sides” in the context of politics-as-usual in America, we think of Democrats versus Republicans, left wing versus right wing, or liberals versus conservatives. In a campaign to make America a Perfect Democracy, these ways of viewing the sides are irrelevant. There are Democrats who believe in democracy and Democrats who don’t. There are Republicans who believe in democracy and Republicans who don’t. There are people on both the left and the right (and centrists) who believe in democracy and people on both the left and the right (and centrists) who don’t. There are liberals and conservatives who believe in democracy and liberals and conservatives who don’t. When we shift our focus to perfecting democracy, the "sides" are the True Friends and Champions of Democracy versus the false friends and true enemies of democracy.
True Friends of Democracy believe that the “just powers” of governments are derived from “the consent of the governed”. That consent is only properly obtained when every citizen has an equal vote and/or truly equal representation, and the votes of the majority determine whether proposed legislation is approved or rejected.
Champions of Democracy are True Friends of Democracy who run for office, actively support pro-democracy candidates who are running for office, or take an active role in campaigns to get pro-democracy reforms on the ballot and adopted through the initiative. Champions of Democracy who are running for office, actively promote the reforms needed to make a government a true democracy as part of their campaigns. Champions of Democracy in Congress and state legislatures, draft, introduce and/or cosponsor pro-democracy legislation.
True enemies of democracy argue openly against democracy and in favor of other forms of government when debating the relative merits of various forms of government. Many true enemies of democracy (dictators and their supporters) simply use violence or the threat of violence to seize power.
False friends of democracy are true enemies of democracy who claim to believe in and support democracy. They work covertly to undermine democracy. They support anti-democratic provisions in constitutions, claiming they are needed to protect the rights of citizens. They support anti-democratic methods in the conduct of elections, claiming they are needed to protect the integrity of elections. They seek to create the illusion of democracy and convince the people of a community, state, or nation that their government is democratic, when it is not.
Democracy is Government by the People.
Majority rule is the essential element of a true democracy. The false friends and true enemies of democracy know that very few, if any, of the things they want governments to do have the support of a majority of the citizens. They cannot get what they want from governments that are true democracies.
There are very few enemies of democracy who are open in their opposition to democracy. Even brutal dictators often claim they have the support of the people and hold sham elections to demonstrate that alleged support. And while the false friends of democracy are in the minority in every country, they often manage to gain control of governments with flawed democracies. In America, they hold a majority of the seats in Congress and state legislatures and most of the offices in the other branches of government.
There are several reasons for their success in getting elected. Candidates who represent corporate interests and billionaires nearly always have considerably more money at their disposal and spent on their behalf when they run for office. They have perfected the art of gerrymandering, which enables them to win a majority of the seats in Congress and state legislatures even when receiving less than a majority of the votes. They do whatever they can to make it difficult for people to vote in districts that are likely to vote against candidates who represent their interests. They employ tried and true propaganda methods, using misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies to sow anger, fear, and hatred among us, and keep us divided.
Divided we lose.
The false friends and true enemies of democracy focus relentlessly on divisive issues. They work quietly, behind the scenes, to keep legislation that is opposed by corporate interests or tax-averse billionaires, from coming to a vote, or even being discussed or debated.
Their success in keeping legislation that has the support of most people from being passed into law and the ugliness, anger, and bitterness they inject into the political process has caused a great many people to conclude that voting is pointless and that we are powerless to change the system that is in place. We are not powerless.
When we unite in support of Champions of Democracy, we will find that we already have all the power we need to -
Politically Active Citizens need to help voters learn to identify Champions of Democracy and vote for them. That will create a political environment where -
True Friends and Champions of Democracy need not fear the results of thousands of elections.
Defining Terms
In identifying majority rule as the essential element that gives a government the “form” of a “perfect democracy”, John Locke used the term “perfect democracy” in the same way the term “pure democracy” is sometimes used as a synonym for direct democracy. We use that term in differently.
We wholeheartedly embrace John Locke's ideals and have been inspired by his use of the term "perfect democracy". However, we employ the term "Perfect Democracy" in a slightly different manner on this website. In order to communicate clearly and effectively, we feel it is important for us to offer our definitions of the key terms we use in discussing what we need to do to make America a Perfect Democracy:
By Democracy, we mean government by the people.
By True Democracy, we mean a government in which the people truly govern, with every citizen having an equal vote and the votes of the majority determining what powers our government is given, what laws are enacted, and what policies are put in place.
By Perfect Democracy, we mean a true democracy in which a majority of the citizens who choose to be politically active respect the rights of others, understand that the primary reason we institute governments is to secure and protect our rights, and consistently support laws and policies that create the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
The common definition of "prefect" is flawless, without flaws. While our mission is to make America a "Perfect Democracy" and we believe that a majority of Politically Active Citizens in America possess these qualities, we also believe that there are flaws that are likely to remain in place even once we have made America a Perfect Democracy and we should address those flaws after we have accomplished our primary mission.
About This Website
This website is published by Perfect Democracy (a non-partisan political action committee). It is designed and intended to serve as an informational resource, (to foster a shared understanding of democracy) and as an organizational hub for a broad-based and inclusive pro-democracy movement, helping Politically Active Citizens and pro-democracy organizations work together to build support for the reforms needed to make America a Perfect Democracy and get those reforms enacted.
A different kind of Political Action Committee.
The acronym PAC ordinarily stands for "Political Action Committee". Perfect Democracy is a different kind of PAC – a broad and inclusive pro-democracy organization consisting of “Politically Active Citizens". The primary focus of most PACs is on raising enormous amounts of money and then spending that money in support of candidates who will do the bidding of the people and organizations who contribute money. Most PACs are organized by corporations and billionaires as a vehicle for spending unlimited amounts of mostly “dark” money to get politicians who will do their bidding elected. Our primary focus is on facilitating communication between Politically Active Citizens and coordinating the efforts of Politically Active Citizens as we work together to perfect democracy in America.
To facilitate communication, we are compiling a database of contact information for Politically Active Citizens and pro-democracy voters. Joining the campaign to make America a Perfect Democracy is as simple as providing your contact information.
We have also formed a Facebook group as a means of providing a space for Politically Active Citizens to conduct an ongoing conversation about our campaign to make America a Perfect Democracy.
We post videos on our YouTube channel as part of our Civic Education Project.
And we post updates regarding our campaign to make America a Perfect Democracy and links to new videos on X.
Join the Campaign to Make America a Perfect Democracy
Communication is vital within a broad-based grassroots movement. We are compiling a data base of pro-democracy activists and voters. To join the campaign to Make America a Perfect Democracy, please provide your email address. Your information will not be sold or shared. You will not receive emails or text messages soliciting financial contributions.
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.
Content is Copyright 2026 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.