The Ideals And Principles Of American Democracy

“We the People” is a phrase that not only signifies our solidarity as a country, but highlights the beginning of democracy in America. For as long as we can remember, the Constitution has been taught to us as the foundation that holds our democracy together alongside the Declaration of Independence. The definition that best describes a democracy would be “A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives” (Oxford Languages). 16 Jan 2024) It is important to know this term to be able to better understand the topics we will be going over in this essay. In this essay, we will explore the basic ideals and principles of American democracy, their application in our republican

The main motive behind the Constitution was to create a government with enough power to act on a national level, but without so much power that it would lead to fundamental rights being at risk. (United States Courts, 2012) How were the people able to make a government that was powerful enough but not too powerful? They accomplished this by using the separation of powers and creating a system called checks and balances. Checks and balances made sure that all three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial) were powerful but not too powerful to overthrow each other. To understand how these branches work together, we must first know what each is responsible for. To sum it up in simple terms, the legislative branch is where laws are made, the executive branch carries out the laws, and the judicial branch evaluates the laws. (U.S. Embassy & Consulate in New Zealand, Cook Islands and Niue, 30) Each branch cannot work without the other, for example, although the legislative branch makes the laws they cannot be passed without the president. With this new knowledge, we now can grasp how the Constitution is not only important but very much necessary in a government to ensure our rights are protected, and the government is never too powerful. (“Branches of

They highlight the human rights that we are entitled to, ensure that the government is protecting our rights, and make sure that the government never has too much power. The checks and balance system is used for appropriate separation of powers and to make sure that each branch of government functions individually but equally together. Court cases like Brown V. Board of Education, Roe V. Wade, and Obergefell V. Hodges all paved the way to ensure fairness between all different types of people whether they be gay, women, or black people. As society continues to change and form, it is important to be mindful of what was done to get to where we are today. Understanding the way democracy works allows us to be able to fight for what we believe in and know that no matter what, we have our human rights and a government that backs us