The title of this piece may strike the reader as over the top, but it really isn’t. Because it isn’t about whether the form of democracy will survive. It probably will despite some dark words from Trump at one point about his supporters not accepting a narrow loss. This post is about whether the concept of democracy that led to the founding of our country and our founding documents … the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution … will survive.
This concept is what ultimately made America great, made us a beacon to the world. I love Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again.” Unfortunately, he has no idea what made America great. It wasn’t our power, our military, our economy, or our strong middle class. Though of course in once sense it was. But what enabled our country to have that power, to develop in this manner compared to other countries, whether democratic or communist, was the concept of American democracy.
What are the key elements of that concept? Note: These elements, like equality, are clearly aspirational. They may not have been or be true on the ground, but they have enabled people to have faith and hope and accomplish what otherwise would have been impossible.
Equality: We all know that the belief in equality was enshrined in the Declaration of Independence although its practice was significantly restricted in the Constitution. But the concept was there and it was that light that guided us towards the ending of slavery, the emancipation of women, the civil rights movement, and same-sex marriage. We still have far to go, but that light is still guiding us.
Indeed, it is this central aspiration of equality that drives the other key elements of American democracy.
Citizenship: We are all equal citizens of the United States. Certainly that wasn’t true at the start, when voting was limited to males who owned property. But over the years, America moved more towards the ideal. Today all adult citizens, whether you were born here or immigrated, have the right to vote. The concept of one “man,” one vote is central.
We are equal citizens also in the sense that we all have equal rights, and we each have the right to pursue these rights. That is why if exercising your right restricts another person’s right, you cannot due that. That concept is the basis for all our laws, both criminal and civil. We do not live in an anarchy; one can’t just do what one wants to do. Even if you are exercising a constitutional right, you cannot in so doing harm another person or restrict that person in exercising their right. No right is absolute
Upward Mobility: We have no caste system in this country. From a structural standpoint, there isn’t anything that anybody cannot do. Someone from the poorest layer of society can rise to be President or head of a powerful corporation. And this mobility is not just theoretical; it has been seen as a reality countless times in all areas of commerce, the arts, the professions, and politics. Again, this is true for native born and immigrants. and more recently people of color.
Unity with Diversity: The United States has been from its very founding a country of immigrants. And as with any large groupings of people, people have from the start had disagreements, both within the groups but especially between the groups. One immigrant group vied against another. And as immigrants became established, they had problems with the next wave of immigrants. Often even those from the same country.
Unity with Diversity: The United States has been from its very founding a country of immigrants. And as with any large groupings of people, people have from the start had disagreements, both within the groups but especially between the groups. One immigrant group vied against another. And as immigrants became established, they had problems with the next wave of immigrants. Often even those from the same country.
Yet despite the animosity and distrust and at times violence between groups, when the country called, all felt that they were Americans. They may have been hyphenated Americans, they may have felt that they weren’t getting their fair share, they may have felt discriminated against, but they identified as American and were proud of it.
This shared sense of citizenship led to what’s called the American social contract. Under that contract, in exchange for the benefits of citizenship, all citizens agree to obey the laws and to share the burden of government through the paying of taxes, each according to his ability. And when there was a military draft, all participated (except draft dodgers) and supported America, even at the cost of their lives. Under this social contract, we are not just responsible for ourselves; we have a distinct responsibility for the welfare of the whole and thus for all Americans.
In the first half of the 20th century, workers gained significant rights in their employment. In the second half, overt forms of discrimination that had been practiced against some groups, like Jews and people of color, became illegal. And all minority groups benefitted from laws that guaranteed equal protection in public accommodations and other areas of commerce. This does not mean that some level of us v them didn’t exist anymore; it certainly did. And people were still discriminated against. But it was far less. Political correctness has been given a bad name, but there is much to be said for people feeling that it is not socially acceptable to have or utter certain thoughts, or take certain actions.
In the halls of Congress, this unity/diversity was reflected in the air of civility that existed between people on opposite sides of issues. People agreed to disagree.
But several decades ago, things began to change. Ronald Reagan ushered in the “me” generation and a broad distrust of government … “government isn’t the solution, it’s the problem.” As the years passed, Republicans in Congress became less civil. They went from having a conservative outlook on what government’s responsibilities were to being antagonistic towards government and the people of color and others that government helps.
Now the Trump presidency has dropped all pretense of being committed to democracy, to governing for all Americans, to being a unifying force. Instead he has provoked and manufactured grievances that have exacerbated the already existing divisions in our society, to the point where we are polarized as possibly never before. Where Trump supporters and those on the progressive left truly hate each other. Where talking and compromise is no longer an option.
The dynamics of American politics and group interaction have deteriorated to such an extent that it raises serious question whether something can return this country and its people back to sanity and respectful coexistence. But we must try. The Democratic Party must make returning this country to its true roots the central platform of its 2020 campaign. It must present a cohesive, positive, vision that speaks to all Americans. It must drop the strategy of identity politics.
As I’ve suggested in the past, the best way of doing that is to turn America’s focus to the Declaration of Independence and base the Party’s vision on those words which are familiar to every American. It is those words that are the heart and soul of the concept of American democracy.
I therefore suggest the following mission/vision for the Democratic Party:
To build a country of greater opportunity where:
- each and every American has the best chance to experience the promises made in the Declaration of Independence … “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights … Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”;
- government meets its responsibility as set forth in the Declaration … “to secure those rights”, within the constraints of fiscal responsibility; and
- all citizens have a shared responsibility to support the government’s efforts to secure those rights and promote the public good, each according to his ability.
This statement will speak to all Americans. Most specifically, it will speak both to those aggrieved Midwestern whites who voted for Trump in 2016 and to those disillusioned blacks who did not turn out to vote for Hillary.
There is no need for identity politics. For there is no real conflict between the interests of the various groups in our society, so long as no group is greedy. The right mix of policies will provide all groups with the opportunity they deserve in our democracy. What they make of that opportunity is then up to them; that is the American way.
All the policies of the Party must flow from this mission statement. Whether the issue is health care, immigration, education, jobs, defense, civil rights, or religion … the Democratic position must further the greater opportunity of all. For a more detailed explication of this concept, see my book, We Still Hold These Truths: An American Manifesto.
