Democracy can be defined as “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, as stated in Becker’s Ideal Democracy (148). Take note in the definition and you will notice that it includes “people” three times. In other words, a democratic government has always been expected to involve the citizens and their lives in the decisions that are made. However, over the years democracy has lost that sense of mechanism. It is clear that our democratic government is failing, and for many reasons, we are to blame. We the people have become politically ignorant and our expectations have become unrealistic. We expect everything we want to get done, but in a democracy as extensive as the one in the United States, the chances of being heard are minor.
To begin with, a democratic government has always been expected to include the people. Who are the people? The people are not the individuals who make up the political world. They are the ones who work as teachers, bakers, etc. The outsiders of the White House. It is those citizens whom the government has kept out of many decisions, and consequently, caused our democracy to deteriorate. People are not playing a part in government decisions simply because they believe their voice will not matter. Take for example voter turnout rates. According to the article “The Decline in American Voter turnout”, “...the percentage of those voting is now lower than it was 2 decades ago”. Even though more US citizens are gaining their right to vote,