The Real Gist of Democracy

This quotation is from Democratic Vistas, which was published in 1871. Whitman’s statement that the history of democracy “has yet to be enacted” might be confusing to anyone who learned 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 clearly implied that ancient Athens and America at its founding were something less than true democracies. His statement that “the real gist” of the word democracy “still sleeps, quite unawakened” also implied 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 used frequently, is often used a bit too casually, and is sometimes deliberately misused. 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 America (or any other country) a true democracy and a perfect democracy begins with 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.

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.

Several enlightened political theorists, theologians, and politicians (most notably Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address) have defined democracy as “government of the people, by the people, and for the people”.

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

DEMOCRACY IS -

A Shared Understanding of Democracy

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. No one has done a better job, before or since, of advocating for democracy and describing the elements that make a government a true democracy.

In his Second Treatise of Government (1689), Locke, a deeply spiritual man, 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.

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

John Locke (1632-1704)

These ideas were revolutionary. Demonstrably so. They provided the inspiration for the American Revolution. Ratified by victory in our war for independence, they triggered what Thomas Paine called a “Revolution in the principles and practice of Governments”

Although progress has been made, that revolution has not yet been fully won. The world has yet to see a nation fully live up to the principles Locke espoused. The fight goes on, however, and it is not too late to fully realize Locke’s vision. For those of us who would like to make America a Perfect Democracy, revisiting the ideas of John Locke is a good place to start. Although he used the word democracy sparingly, Locke did an excellent job of describing democracy and advocating for democracy.

Locke used the word democracy only twice in his Second Treatise of Government, most notably in offering a succinct description of the conditions that put the form of a perfect democracy in place:

In this passage from his Second Treatise of Government, 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 citizens vote directly to make most major political decisions. Every citizen of a community, state, or nation has an equal vote. And the votes of the majority determine the outcome.

Majority Rule is the Essential Element of a True Democracy

Locke identified majority rule as the essential element that makes a government a true democracy and puts the form of a perfect democracy in place. Locke’s support for majority rule was unequivocal. The word “majority” appears again and again throughout his Second Treatise.

He argued 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.” James Madison identified “the will of the majority” as “the vital principle of Republican Government.”

Locke also identified two other elements 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 is the interest as well as the intention of the people to have fair and equal representation.”

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”.

All three of these elements must be present for a government to be a true democracy with the "form" of a "Perfect Democracy"

Walt Whitman’s assertion that democracy’s history “has yet to be enacted” is easier to understand in light of the high standard that John Locke set two hundred years earlier. In ancient Athens only males born of Athenian parents had the right to participate in the assemblies or hold office - that violated the principle of an equal vote or equal representation for all.

In America at its founding, none of these elements were in place. Only white males were allowed to vote, and there were property requirements in most states. Women did not gain the right to vote in the United States until 1920. The supremacy of the legislative power was lacking (and still is), as presidents had (and have) the power to veto legislation passed by Congress, and the Supreme Court claimed the power to nullify acts of Congress or the president through “judicial review” soon after our Constitution was ratified. And the principle of majority rule was violated by having states, rather than people, represented in the U. S. Senate and by numerous provisions for super-majority requirements embedded in the body of our Constitution.

Except for states where provisions have been made for referendums and the initiative in state constitutions, none of these elements are in place in America today.

A Perfect Democracy

Several additional elements must be in place to make a government a Perfect Democracy.

Majority rule, an equal vote and 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.

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 that (as Locke put it) “The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom”.

Aristotle made the point long ago that the number of people sharing power within a government is less important than whether those who share power govern “with a view to the common interest” (which he called the “true” forms of government) or “with a view to the private interest” (which he called “perversions” of the true forms).

If most of the politically active citizens in a nation governed by the people are not well-educated, not well-informed, and/or not respectful of the rights of others, the government is a perversion of true democracy. If most of the politically active citizens in a nation that is governed democratically are well-educated, well-informed, and respectful of the rights of others, democracy is a good form of government, and a nation is not only a “true democracy”, but a “perfect democracy”.

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, and respect the rights of others and consistently govern “with a view to the common interest”.

Perfecting Both Direct Democracy and Representative Democracy

Making a large, complex nation-state a true democracy (and putting the form of a Perfect Democracy in place) requires a seamless combination of direct democracy and representative democracy. Governments must derive their powers from “the consent of the governed”. That consent may be obtained indirectly most of the time, but should be obtained directly as needed.

When consent is obtained indirectly, through representative assemblies, there should be a strong correlation between the way the people would vote, if voting directly, and votes taken in the legislative bodies that govern them.

Referendums should be conducted to obtain “the consent of the governed” directly whenever it appears that a legislative body has passed legislation that does not have the support of a majority of the people of a community, state, or nation, has failed to enact legislation that is desired by a majority of the people, or when a majority of the people simply want to vote directly on an issue. The people themselves should be able to easily call referendums and put proposals on the ballot through the initiative.

There are two elegantly simple, yet incredibly powerful reforms that will put the form of a perfect democracy in place in America (or any state), make it easier to enact the other reforms needed to make America (or any state) a more perfect democracy, and ensure that legislation supported by a majority of politically active citizens is passed into law:

Perfect Democracy Amendments

Perfect Democracy Amendments will make it easier for citizens to call referendums and use the initiative by allowing citizens to sign initiative and veto referendum petitions electronically (online) and will extend provisions for referendums and the initiative to the federal government and to the states that do not yet provide for them.

Learn More About Perfect Democracy Amendments

Representation for All Amendments

In our bitterly divided two-party system, Republicans living in a state or district with a Democratic senator or representative are not truly represented and Democrats living in a state or district with a Republican senator or representative are not truly represented. Citizens who do not identify with either major party often do not feel represented in Congress or their state legislature regardless of whether they are “represented” by a Democrat or a Republican. And even Democrats represented by Democrats and Republicans represented by Republicans, often find that their senators and representatives do not always vote the way they would vote on issues of concern to them.

A proxy is a form giving a designated person the authority to represent another person, especially in voting. When you assign your proxy to someone, you authorize them to vote on your behalf (they act as your “proxy”).

Proxies are routinely used by corporations to allow shareholders to designate someone to vote on their behalf at annual shareholder meetings. Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party utilize proxies at meetings of their national and state committees. The U. S. House of Representatives used proxies among its members during the COVID pandemic.

The best way to ensure that all voters have equal representation and are represented by someone who votes as they would vote is to give every citizen the right to assign a proxy to any one member of each legislative body that governs them, and then allow 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 every matter that comes before them (including votes taken in committees and on procedural matters).

Implementing a system of proxies for citizens will bring a system of representation as close to the form of a perfect democracy as possible and ensure that votes taken in a representative assembly correlate strongly with how the people governed by a legislative body would have voted, if voting directly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF PROXIES FOR CITIZENS

Minor Changes with Major Benefits

In a survey conducted in 2021, 85% of Americans surveyed said 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. Perfect Democracy Amendments and Representation for All Amendments change our system no more than necessary, yet will yield massive benefits.

These reforms are foundational. Enacting either one, or both, of these reforms will put the form of a perfect democracy in place and empower 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. Representation for All Amendments will instantly transform corrupted, dysfunctional 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 501 (c) (4) political action committee.

Those of us who believe in democracy need to come together, across party lines and despite differences of opinion on divisive issues, in a broad-based grassroots movement to make America a Perfect Democracy. That is the key to reuniting Americans, healing the deep and bitter divisions that threaten to tear our nation apart, and making government by the people a glorious reality in the United States.

This website presents a detailed plan for putting the form of a Perfect Democracy in place in America and in every state that makes up the United States of America. 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.

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.

This website was created by, is maintained by, and paid for by Winston Apple,

Government by the People