Freethought Discussion: Democracy in Peril

Democracy in Peril: The Disconnect Between Political Power and Popular Will

Moderator: Donna C.

Some people feel that our democracy reveals its shining strength for successfully surviving serious pivotal crises over the past 247 years; they may refer to our “God-given” ability to meet any challenge. Others view our democracy in a precarious position, perhaps sliding into an oligarchic autocracy, or even fascism; they may insist that our political system has turned the consent of the governed into a cruel joke. According to a recent poll, 69% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans said that democracy was “in danger of collapse.” Clearly, the state of our democracy stands out as a central concern among Americans.

Our discussion will revolve around several questions—plus any you might like to raise regarding democracy in the United States.  This should be a fascinating discussion!

• Is America a Shining Democracy?  If not, has it ever been? 

• How well do our political institutions—Legislative, Executive, Judicial, and our Constitution—serve the will of the people?

• Does voting make a difference, or is our electoral system merely a pretense that democracy exists? 

• How resilient is our democracy?

• What opportunities do we have to build a better democracy? 

Here are some background resources on the discussion topics:

‘A Crisis Coming’: The Twin Threats to American Democracyby David Leonhardt, New York Times, September 17, 2022 (~15 pages)

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/17/us/american-democracy-threats.html

The United States is Not a Democracy—and it wasn’t meant to be one by Timothy Snowball, October 29, 2018, The Hill (~2+ pages)

https://pacificlegal.org/the-united-states-is-not-a-democracy-and-it-wasnt-meant-to-be-one/

Interview with Ellie Mystal:  Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, by Harry Katz, Youtube video podcast, Free Library of Philadelphia, August 14, 2022  (~one hour)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQQAQieLUBg  

"Reconstruction Never Ended," A Review of Eric Foner's Second Founding:How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitutionby Thomas Simpson, May 11, 2020 (~3 pages)

https://facingtoday.facinghistory.org/reconstruction-never-ended-a-review-of-eric-foners-second-founding

“Democracy Down on the Constitutional Killing Floor,” by Paul Street, Counterpunch, July 22, 2022, (~10 ½ pages)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/07/22/democracy-down-on-the-constitutional-killing-floor/

The Chris Hedges Report: “The United States of Paralysis,” April 23, 2023, (2+ pages, up to Emile Durkheim) 

https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/the-united-states-of-paralysis

Please join us!

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