'American Democracy' By Andrew J Perrin

A “greater, better and more beautiful” USA is different for everyone. Not everyone has the same expectations and standards, so some may say that the US is currently at its peak, but I believe that we still have a long way to go. There is so much we can do to improve, so that the future generations can acquire a great nation. The US prides itself on being a free and democratic country yet we rank at the bottom of most democratic countries. Democracy needs to be fixed in our nation in order to create the change needed to make the US a “greater, better and more beautiful” nation. In “American Democracy” by Andrew J. Perrin he states, “democracy is best understood as the back-and-forth interactions among citizens and institutions of government,

How are we supposed to make the US greater, better and more beautiful if there are so many issues with the voting process? The Electoral College turns off many people since many believe their voices aren't heard, so what’s the point of voting. If citizens have that type of attitude towards voting this proves that there is something wrong with the system. Most states’ electoral votes will go to the same party every election. In the prompt we have a quote from the oath of the Athenian citizens: “We will transmit this city not only not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us” we want to use this quote as guideline but do we want our government to be like the Athenian system? In “The History and Theory of Democracy” the Athenian democracy was defined as “exclusive.” “Many people subject to the laws of the city had no voice in making those laws…participating citizens had a direct impact in the decisions that were made” we can’t have this if we want a better nation. We can’t just have a few in power and the rest basically ostracized from any societal decisions. Abraham Lincoln said it best, “A government of the people, by the people, for the people.” We need to listen to everyone’s voices and desires to create a comfortable society that is fair for everyone. Children should be introduced at a young age to understand the importance of involvement. Education curriculum should involve teaching students

We forget that immigrants built this great nation so we need them to continue making America better, greater and more beautiful. Immigrants shouldn't be viewed as a threat, we need to reevaluate our immigration policies and realize that this can benefit everyone in our country. It’s an issue that when resolved can lead to great benefits in the US. We need workers that are engineers, computer technicians, etc., people with professional skills. We also need people that have seasonal and agricultural skills. Not many Americans have the skill of working on farms and in factories. These are also skills, these people are providing enormously because you wouldn’t be eating the food on your table without them. Many people use the excuse that immigrants are coming and stealing our jobs, which is by far the most absurd thing. These people are taking the jobs that nobody wants. In the article about Arizona we see that there is a significant impact on the job market with the new laws. The Arizona Contractor Association states that it’s harder and to find workers since most have been Latino but the laws and citizens are scaring them away. There are many job openings for these people who have the skills to work, yet we turn them away. We need to stop that. They are helping our economy; proof of that is listed in The Hamilton Project “Ten Facts