Which Side Are You On?

Friends and Enemies of Democracy

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. When we shift our focus to defending or perfecting 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 focus on defending or 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 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 advocates for democracy who are running for office, or take an active role in campaigns to get pro-democracy reforms on the ballot in states with 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 campaign. 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 but 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 if everyone has an equal vote and the votes of the majority determine what laws are enacted and what policies are put in place.

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, they often 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 running for office. They have perfected the art of gerrymandering, which enables them to routinely win a majority of the seats in Congress and state legislatures even when receiving less than a majority of the overall vote. They do whatever they can to make it difficult for people to vote in districts that are likely to vote against their candidates. They employ tried and true propaganda methods, using misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies to stoke 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 has the support of a majority of the people but 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 politics is an ugly business, that voting is pointless, and that we are powerless to change the system that is in place. We are not powerless.

In a poll taken in 2021, eighty-five percent of Americans agreed that we need to make major changes to our political system. The first changes we need to make are to implement systems of Personal Representation that allow citizens to select their representatives in legislative bodies and enact Perfect Democracy Amendments that make it easier for citizens to call referendums and use the initiative in the states that already have provisions for those powerful forms of direct democracy in their constitutions and extend the use of referendums and the initiative to the states that do not yet provide for them and to the federal government.

When we unite in support of these reforms and the Champions of Democracy leading the campaign to get those reforms enacted, we will find that we already have all the power we need to change our political system and -

At present, very few members of Congress and state legislatures are actively championing democracy. Voting incumbents out of office is extremely difficult within our present political system. We need thousands of True Friends of Democracy to run for office as Champions of Democracy. We need to help millions of voters learn to identify Champions of Democracy (and false friends of democracy) who are on the ballot. We need to create a political environment where -

True Friends and Champions of Democracy need not fear the results of thousands of elections.

Pro-democracy reforms were first proposed in the 19th century.

As democracy began to take root and blossom in Europe and America in the 19th century, proposals for constituting legislative bodies using various forms of proportional representation were introduced. Two systems commonly referred to as “Personal Representation” were among the proposals: Ranked Choice Voting with multiple-member districts and a system using proxies.

Toward the end of the 19th century, two powerful forms of direct democracy – referendums and the initiative – were also proposed in both Europe and America.

Power to the People?

Corporatists, plutocrats, and the leaders of major political parties opposed these pro-democracy reforms because they shift power to the people. Perfect Democracy Amendments shift power to the people directly. Implementing a system of Personal Representation (with proxies) shifts power to the people indirectly by shifting power within a representative assembly to the members who do the best job of drafting and supporting legislation that most effectively addresses the needs of the people and represents the will of the people.

In the end, the power elite in Europe and America managed to limit the successes of the Populists and Progressives. Most of the countries that adopted proportional representation chose some form of the Party List system, which is less democratic than Personal Representation because it retains a dominant role for political parties and a geographic basis for representation. To date, only four countries in the world have adopted Ranked Choice Voting with multiple member districts. Ranked Choice Voting has recently been implemented in two states and numerous local governments in the United States, but the systems that have been adopted in the United States generally do not include multiple member districts. Absent that critical component, Ranked Choice Voting is not a form of proportional representation. Systems of Personal Representation using proxies have not been adopted anywhere in the world.

To perfect democracy in the 21st century, True Friends and Champions of Democracy need to unite and build on the successes of earlier generations of Populists and Progressives.

The rulers of America will not surrender power willingly.

In a true democracy, all political power is vested in and derived from the people. The rulers of America (and every other country in the world) know that pro-democracy reforms will take power away from corporate and private interests. Implementing systems of Personal Representation (with Proxies for Citizens) and enacting Perfect Democracy Amendments will shift power to the people and limit the power of corporate interests, plutocrats, and the major political parties.

The rulers of America control the flow of information.

Most major media outlets and the largest social media platforms are owned by corporate interests or plutocrats. Both of our major political parties and our governments at both the state and federal levels, are effectively under the control of corporate interests and plutocrats. The false friends and true enemies of democracy are not going to help publicize our efforts. Any coverage of our campaign to make America a Perfect Democracy is almost certain to be biased, negative, and misleading.

Profits and Parties over People

With very few exceptions, corporations put profits ahead of people. The leaders of major political parties around the world from the 19th century down to the present day, have consistently served business interests and opposed pro-democracy reforms. At present, both major political parties in America are effectively under the control of corporate interests and plutocrats. Neither of the major political parties in America supports pro-democracy reforms. Progressive Democrats are the only faction within either major political party in America that is likely to support pro-democracy reforms and the corporatist faction within the Democratic Party is firmly in control of the party. Most of the rank-and-file members of both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party (and most of the voters who identify as Democrats or Republicans) do not understand that the leaders of their parties are false friends of democracy who consistently put political parties (and the corporate interests they serve) above the needs of the people.

They've got the money.

Most of the members of Congress and state legislatures from both major parties have been corrupted by the need to continually raise enormous amounts of money. They get most of that money from corporate interests and billionaires.

More and more of the money being raised and spent in our elections is “dark money” funneled through “Super PACs” that are legally prohibited from coordinating with candidates but routinely do so with impunity. Candidates know which Super PACs are spending money on their behalf and which megadonors are contributing the dark money. And those mega-donors have considerable influence with most legislators.

The corporatists and plutocrats who currently control nearly all the levers of power in America will spend unlimited amounts of money in support of the false friends and true enemies of democracy who hold office, or are running for office, and faithfully serve their interests.

We've got the votes.

Super-PACs may routinely outspend the combined contributions of ordinary citizens, but if we unite in support of democracy, we can outvote them. When enough of us unite in support of Champions of Democracy and the democratic ideals upon which our nation was founded, our pro-democracy movement will be "too big to fail".

Most Americans believe in democracy but know that money has corrupted democracy in America. Solid majorities of voters in every state will support candidates who make their support for pro-democracy reforms a focal point of their campaigns. Politically Active Citizens who are True Friends of Democracy need to encourage candidates to do so, and then help voters identify those Champions of Democracy.

Politics is a team sport, but it is also a numbers game that is won one seat at a time. To get pro-democracy reforms enacted in each of the fifty states, working within the system that is in place, we need to elect Champions of Democracy to a majority of the seats in each state legislature. To get pro-democracy reforms enacted at the federal level, we need to elect Champions of Democracy to a majority of the seats in a super-majority of state legislatures and/or a super-majority of the seats in Congress.

The first step in accomplishing those goals is to have a Champion of Democracy on the ballot in elections for most, if not all, of the seats in Congress and state legislatures.

When enough of us unite in support of Champions of Democracy, the democratic ideals upon which our nation was founded, and the reforms that are needed to make America a Perfect Democracy, our pro-democracy movement will be "too big to fail".

The prospect of making America a Perfect Democracy should excite and motivate the people of America as much as it scares the current rulers of America.

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