A country that has adopted full democracy, such as the U.S., allows the public to participate in the decision-making process of the government. This inclusion of as many people as possible ensures that the public has faith and confidence in the government and that the principle of check and balances is well applied. The U.S has been at the forefront in the support for democracy across the globe to ensure the protection of human rights (Smith, 2012). As such, it is important for the country to advance its own democracy to ensure justice within its political system and lead other countries in the struggle for democracy. There are various factors that have an effect on democracy, among which are: education, voting and elections, and the media in the U.S. The presence of a well-educated public, free and fair elections and unbiased media reporting which acts as a watchdog can have the greatest impact on advancing democracy in the U.S.
Education
Public education on civic responsibilities and the development of democratic values is a powerful tool in advancing democracy in the U.S. Education has an influence on the level of knowledge and understanding of political systems. One of the best ways to use education as a tool for democracy advancement is by incorporating civic education in higher learning institutions. According to Bergan, Gallagher, and Harkavy (2016), it is important to motivate and encourage college students to participate and challenge political systems that are no longer working. This can be done by involving them, civically through education, in political reforms that are meant to improve democracy. In addition to this, college students are the future lawmakers and citizens and providing them with civic education will ensure that democracy is strengthened in the country as they will be competent enough to challenge and engage in the democratic process.
Further, higher education institutions are responsible for producing the elite groups in the country. As such, when civic education is incorporated in the higher education system, the product will be that of citizens who are well informed on political matters and will be more receptive to the freedom of expression, no matter the political differences. Thus, the opinions of the minorities who have different political ideas will be considered, hence advancing democracy. Education is a conduit for democracy which can ensure that people, who are marginalized, whether politically or socially, are well represented through civic education and engagement (Bergan, Gallagher, " Harkavy, 2016). This will promote the culture of democracy throughout the country as young adults will be well informed about the values that are associated with democracy.
Education also plays a major role in the advancement of democracy because it offers equality to all citizens and ensures that people from different cultural, ethnic and social backgrounds are able to co-exist (Hytten, 2017). Through education, the practices of citizenship are taught from an early age, thus raising a democratic society. Embracing an education system that does not only teach democracy but also practices it will go a long way in advancing democracy. Civic education prepares young people to become responsible citizens who will adhere to their civic duties faithfully (Shapiro " Brown, 2018). Through this, full democracy will be a way of life rather than a teaching and will be deeply ingrained in the minds of young people and the society as a whole. In addition, education provides people with information about the Constitution, and their duties and rights as citizens, thus facilitating the advancement of democracy.
Voting and Election
There can never be a democracy without a free and fair voting and election process. Thus, a secure voting and election process is an important tool that can be used to advance democracy. Different states in the country conduct elections and voter registration processes differently, which at times affect the security of the entire process (Shackelford, Schneier, Sulmeyer, Boustead, " Buchanan, 2017). As such, adopting a uniform way of auditing the process will ensure that there is no voter fraud. When the voting election processes are tampered with and lack transparency, democracy in any country becomes weak. The 2016 elections were surrounded by uncertainty following the alleged interference into the system and this kind of uncertainty works against the advancement of democracy (Shackelford, et al., 2017). In order to restore public confidence in the process, it is important to secure it by encouraging active involvement of the federal government, which will promote transparency during voting and elections, thus strengthening democracy.
Voting and elections allow citizens to choose their preferred leaders based on their political ideologies and one of the ways in which the voting process can create the greatest impact on democracy is by increasing the pool of voters in the country. Allowing non-citizens to vote will increase the number of voters and can be effective especially in a close election (Renshon, 2009). Currently, permanent residents are not allowed to vote in federal elections, yet they have been given the right to permanently live in the country. When non-citizens who have permanent residency in the country are excluded from the voting process, it mirrors how democracy is limited since it is not involving all the people. Democracy is rooted in the principle of inclusion and as such, eliminating the limitation of non-citizens in the voting process will strengthen and advance democracy in the country. In addition, the voting and election process gives every voter a voice on issues that are affecting them (Kim, 2012). As such, this process should be free from any forms of limitation, such as exclusion due to mobility or immigration. The election system in the country limits the eligibility of voters due to the mobility of voters, thus limiting the voters’ pool (Kim, 2012). However, allowing voters who have moved places to vote will also strengthen democracy as such people will not be left out.
The Role of Media
The media acts as a guardian and a watchdog that works on protecting the public interests from a few selfish individuals or groups of people (Janda, Berry, Goldman, Schildkraut, " Manna, 2018). In most cases, it is the media that unearths corruption and other scandals in the government and public institutions, which makes the government more transparent and accountable in its dealings. Further, the media is constantly watching and criticizing politicians who seem to be deflecting from real issues. This keeps citizens informed on what their leaders are doing, giving them enough data to decide whether to re-elect them or kick them out of office. The media can highly promote the advancement of democracy by ensuring that they are not biased in their reporting to ensure neutrality.
The media can also contribute to the advancement of democracy through public opinion polls (Janda, et al., 2018). The media normally asks a sample of citizens, who are a representative of the entire public, their views on major issues affecting the country. These views are then taken to represent the opinions of the public, revealing what the public wants. These opinions are able to reach law-makers and also allow people to express their views freely, which is the cornerstone of democracy in the United States. In addition, the media allows the public to make informed decisions on issues regarding democracy and acts as a medium in which the public shows support for or against some policies (Deane, 2015). This in turns ensures that the public has a platform to express their opinions freely. As such, the media acts as a go-between the government and the public and can, therefore, advance democracy through responsible reporting.
Conclusion
The freedom of expression for any individual is a tool by itself that can be used in advancement of democracy in the U.S. Being politically involved, especially after elections are over, will ensure that every individual is able to follow up on the political scenery and can raise their voice when the government or public institutions are dysfunctional. This will increase public’s confidence in the government and will also keep the government in check to ensure that democracy does not fail. Individuals can also contribute in small ways by participating in community development projects and public forums. Further, each individual can learn to be accommodative of other people’s opinions and embrace the diversity that comes as a result of cultural and racial differences. This tolerance will further promote and advance democracy from the grassroots levels in the country.
References
Bergan, S., Gallagher, T., " Harkavy, I. (2016). Higher education for democratic innovation. Council of Europe.
Deane, J. (2015). Media and communication in governance: It's time for a rethink. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from OECD: https://www.oecd.org/dac/accountable-effective-institutions/Governance%20Notebook%203.4%20Deane.pdf
Hytten, K. (2017). Democracy and education in the United States. Oxford Reasearch Encyclopedia of Education, 1-22.
Janda, K., Berry, J. M., Goldman, J., Schildkraut, D. J., " Manna, P. (2018). The challenge of democracy: American governement in global politics (14th ed.). Boston: Cengage Learning.
Kim, Y. B. (2012, October 1). Democracy in a mobile America. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from Demos: http://www.demos.org/publication/democracy-mobile-america-0
Renshon, S. A. (2009). Non-citizen voting and american democracy. Maryland: Rowman " Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Shackelford, S., Schneier, B., Sulmeyer, M., Boustead, A., " Buchanan, B. (2017). Making democracy harder to hack. University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, 50(3), 629-668.
Shapiro, S., " Brown, C. (2018, February 21). The state of civics education. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from Center for American Progress: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2018/02/21/446857/state-civics-education/
Smith, T. (2012). America's Mission: The United States and the worldwide struggle for democracy (Expanded ed.). New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
