Unrepresentative government.
Seven Taboo Political Subjects #4:
The Politics:
Fundamentally, should a democracy guarantee equal access, equal say, or equal outcomes for every citizen? What if a politician shouted (and some come close) “Liberals are un-American. If elected I will do everything in my power to deny them the opportunity to vote or to benefit from government programs”. Or “Democracy is hard complex work. Only smart and rich people, like me and my friends, should be permitted to vote”.
The Reality:
Only in 1913 with the passage of the 17th Amendment were Senators elected by the public rather than appointed in smoke-filled, state capital backrooms to serve elite special interests. An intentionally anti-majoritarian chamber, the US Senate remains distinctly undemocratic, preferencing small states over large. And stubbornly white.
Black males were granted the right to vote in 1870, but suffered through Jim Crow, literacy tests and poll taxes. Even today, blacks wait 30% longer on line than whites. Native Americans are disproportionately disenfranchised by voter ID statutes.
A hundred years ago women were finally enfranchised, but deeply discourage from exercising their civil and political freedoms. Although half our population is female only 30% of its office holders are women. And we have never elected a female president- an anomaly compared to other major democracies.
By not anticipating a two-party system, the constitution’s silence allowed political parties to subvert the will of the people and game the legislative process for their benefit. Skewing “democracy” in their favor. Congressional elections are now routinely decided by large margins in safe districts created by gerrymandering and clever manipulation of electoral rules. Winner-take-all rules amplify small pluralities into insurmountable majorities in the Electoral College. Independent parties face high barriers to reach the ballot, thus eliminating any incentive to treat all voters equally. Disenfranchising half the country. The Supreme Court refuses to intercede, though a strong case can be made political parties are trampling on individual equal protections and broader rights of association.
Combined with low voter turnout and the excessive influence of the wealthy class in shaping public opinion, the US is neither a true democracy or even a fully representative system. We are ranked as a flawed democracy (26/167) with a dysfunctional government and weak political culture.
Most tellingly, the Constitution does not contain a fundamental Right To Vote. Until we have a sober debate over the supremacy of individual over associational rights, democracy cannot guarantee equal access, equal say, or equal outcomes for every citizen.
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