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 - Democratic Vistas (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 neither ancient Athens nor America at its founding were true democracies.

His statement that “the real gist” of democracy “still sleeps, quite unawakened”, clearly implies that most people, at the time he wrote, did not truly understand what makes 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)

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 (1902-1950

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.

Despite the continued efforts of the false friends and true enemies of democracy to sow confusion, there has been some agreement regarding the definition of democracy. Unitarian minister and abolitionist Theodore Parker, in his sermon “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 the government of the United States 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 has long been, and remains, the best resource for developing a true understanding of democracy. No one has done a better job - before or since - of describing the essential elements of a true 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 describing majority rule as the essential element that puts the “form” of a “perfect democracy” in place.

Majority Rule

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

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.Our team is made up of licensed therapists, social workers, and other mental health professionals who are passionate about supporting mental health and wellness in our community.

An Equal Vote and Equal Representation

It is impossible to accurately determine the will of the majority unless every citizen has an equal vote and 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 True Democracy and 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. But those elements, in and of themselves, are no guarantee of good government. Several additional elements must be in place to make a government a good government - a Perfect Democracy.

By “true democracy”, we mean a country that is truly governed by the people. By “Perfect Democracy”, we mean a government in which the people rule and a majority of the citizens who choose to be politically active are well-educated, well-informed, and, most importantly, respect the rights of others. In other words, most Politically Active Citizens must understand and agree that the primary purpose of government is to secure and protect our Rights.

Although we are using the term Perfect Democracy in a different way than it is normally used (as a synonym for direct democracy), we believe direct democracy is an essential part of a Perfect Democracy. We believe a seamless combination of direct democracy and representative democracy is necessary to make a government a true democracy in the 21stcentury.

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 therefore, consistently govern in the common interest.

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.

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