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 for the most part 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 slightly 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 -

A Shared Understanding of Democracy

Although a great many books, articles, and essays have been written about democracy, John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government remains the best resource for developing a shared understanding of democracy. No one has done a better job - before or since - of describing the “real gist” of democracy.

The word “democracy” appears only twice in Locke’s Second Treatise. Once, to clarify that a “commonwealth” is not necessarily a democracy. And, most importantly, in one especially powerful sentence describing, quite concisely, the elements that put the form of a Perfect Democracy in place:

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

Locke’s support for majority rule was unequivocal. The word “majority” appears frequently throughout his Second Treatise.

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 stated that, “It is my principle that the will of the majority should always prevail.” James Madison wrote that “The vital principle of Republican Government is…the will of the majority.”

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

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”. Locke stated that “there can be but one supreme power, which is the legislative, to which all the rest are and must be subordinate.”

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.

"A Revolution in the principles and practice of Governments”

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. John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government planted the seeds of what Thomas Paine would later call “a Revolution in the principles and practice of Governments.”

Prior to the publication of Locke’s Second Treatise 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.

John Locke (1632-1704)

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 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:

These ideas were revolutionary. Demonstrably so. They provided the inspiration for the American Revolution. They’ve been inspiring people ever since. Ratified by victory in our war for independence, Locke’s ideas 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.

Eleven years after the Declaration of Independence was signed and a mere five years after the Articles of Confederation were ratified, democracy was nipped in the bud in America by its false friends and true enemies, who greatly outnumbered the Champions of Democracy among the delegates to the Federal Convention of 1787 (also known as the “Constitutional Convention”). Nineteen of the fifty-five delegates to the convention spoke out strongly against democracy. Only four delegates came to democracy’s defense. Most of the remaining delegates voted with the false friends and true enemies of democracy as numerous anti-democratic provisions were adopted by the convention. Those anti-democratic provisions remain in the body of the Constitution, including a thoroughly anti-democratic amendment process that has made it very difficult to remove the other anti-democratic provisions.

Other nations have taken up the cause of promoting democracy and have succeeded in making their governments more democratic. However, more than three centuries after Locke wrote his Second Treatise of Government and two and a half centuries after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the world has yet to see Locke’s vision of a Perfect Democracy fully realized in any nation.

The “self-evident” Truths that John Locke shared once upon a time are eternal. If Champions of Democracy in any community, state, or nation, unite in support of those democratic ideals they can make their government a Perfect Democracy.

How Democratic is Our Government?

It is common and natural for people to exhibit a noticeable bias in favor of their own country when comparing countries in various ways. One form that bias commonly takes is believing one’s own country to be more democratic than it is. This is certainly true of most Americans.

Many Americans have a negative opinion of most, if not all, politicians and harbor negative views regarding government, in general, and the federal government (“Washington, D. C.”) in particular. Most Americans realize that our political system has been corrupted by money; feel that our votes rarely, if ever, matter; and believe that, due to the dominance of the two major political parties, we are forced, in most elections, to choose between the “lesser-of-two evils” - if gerrymandering has not robbed us of having any choice at all.

Despite these strongly negative views, most Americans also believe our nation was the birthplace of democracy in the modern world, that our government is the most democratic 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, afforded the citizens of the thirteen former colonies that were transformed into “Free and Independent States” the “opportunity, of beginning Government anew from the Foundation and building as they choose.” In all thirteen states, the choice they made was to model their system of governance on the British system, with a bicameral legislature, but with an elected governor, rather than a monarch.

The facts do not back up these other examples of American exceptionalism. And the most significant flaws in our version of democracy can be traced to a source that will surprise most Americans –

The Constitution of the United States

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 is filled 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 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 29th 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.

We could move from 29th place to 1st place in the Democracy Index by enacting -

Two Elegantly Simple, Yet Incredibly Powerful, Reforms

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 those 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 put the form of a Perfect Democracy in place:

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 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.

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” (published annually by The Economist) the United States is ranked as the 29th most democratic nation in the world. The primary reason most of the twenty-eight countries that were considered more democratic than the United States scored higher than us is that they elect members of their representative assemblies using various forms of proportional representation.

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 (indirectly) on every issue of concern to them.

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.

*A "proxy" is both a form that authorizes someone else to act on your behalf (especially in voting) and the person to whom you assign your proxy. When you assign your proxy to someone, they act as your proxy.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PROXIES FOR CITIZENS

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

IIn 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 in America.

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, 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.

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

About This Website

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.