Liberty and Democracy in the US

The United States is in reality a democracy. However, the founding fathers of America did not long for democracy but for a republic through leaders who were elected. America and the founding fathers in particular were much more concerned with liberty, which essentially was all about freedom from government. Thus, the United States is known more for liberty than democracy. The concern was more focused on having liberty than having democracy. This is most evident with the manner, through which the constitution of the United States was drafted. It has a system of electoral vote that is still applicable to this date. The Americans vote for the electors who then choose who to be president. If there was absolute confidence through democracy, they would have a voting system that is direct in choosing the president of the United States.

Most importantly the Supreme Court can strike out any legislation that they deem unconstitutional. This is the same reason as to why the United States has a Bill of rights, which was foreseen in protecting the American people from the oppression of the majority group. This has been very instrumental in some occasions, although not in some cases in some manner that the American founding fathers did not perceive. For instance, unjust regulations and rules discriminating against the African Americans were termed as unconstitutional. However, abortion was legalized; something that was against the wishes of many Americans. Thus, democracy here did not have its play. The same case applied to pornography.

The founders of the United States understood clearly more than contemporary politicians that liberty was the fundamental establishment need for the prosperity of Americans and in the pursuit of joy and happiness. The American founding fathers yearned for secure rights of property, which they knew the danger that would be posed through a true democracy. This can be evidently seen from one of the American statesmen and political theorist, called James Madison. He reiterated that democracy was not compatible with the rights of property. Although the United States is a democracy, the time people are living in proves James Madison right. The rights to private property have been eroded away through the oppression of the majority that represents democracy.  Take a good example of the French and their country, France; the employer cannot fire or even hire at will. The employer has to keep sluggards at the organization. This will certainly affect the rights of the company owner.

In some contemporary democracies, it is not easy to kick out a tenant that is no longer wanted, affecting individual property rights. Therefore, an individual cannot hire any person of their own choice and cannot accept whatever kind of tenants needed. This is where liberty beats democracy. Through democracy, property rights are limited and that is what the American founding fathers sought to abolish by basing their philosophy on liberty. Creating freedom through the government was what actually intended for the people of America to prosper in this sense.

There have been worries that democracy will ultimately degenerate into a system of anarchy, and then anarchy will in the end brew dictatorship. These are such kind of issues, which were postulated by people like John Adams. This is a very unique possibility and even a probable likelihood that can take effect in the near future. There is a chance of irrational opinions and decisions emerging through western democracies. The issue could be weighty and despite America being a democracy, it is unlikely that such matters will affect the country. The United States is more of liberty focused than democracy guided. It is an issue of main concern and we keep wondering how long democracies will get away with it. The cumulative effects, occasioned by bad democratic decisions, cause a lot of failure and worry in the system of governance, which trickles down to the people. Though this is a characteristic of a democratic system like the United States, it is unlikely to befall the nation due to the principles upon, which the United States is built.

Looking at countries across the globe, governments are spending exceedingly and more especially in the western world. This has prompted quick action that is needed to reform democracy. Budget deficits, experienced across the world, form a significant percentage of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The short coming is realized mainly through borrowing funds. Therefore, democracies are spending money in order to benefit this current generation at the expense of the generations in the future who would pay the bill consequently. Despite the United States being a democracy, this is not the case. It is a very strong proof that America is more in pursuit of liberty than what real democracy is all about. Certainly, the future generation is that which is illegible to vote and the present crop of politicians will not be in power at the time, when these young generation would be paying up for such mess. This is the kind of harm that has made democracy to be carefully implemented in the United States.

Well, democracy has played an important role in airing the views of the masses and promoting the freedom of speech. In some way, people have found some sort of comfort in it. All the same, democracy is not liberty. Liberty is required in very critical instances, where democracy cannot help. Liberty has saved the fabric that holds the society of the United States. For a politician to gain power, he or she is expected to make a promise of income redistribution from the rich to the poor. This is the fear that was highlighted, concerning democracy by James Madison. James Madison said that the government was established so that it can protect property of any kind. This was the very purpose of government and not merely being a just sovereignty. Individual property needed and still needs to be secure under the government, where the material property, owned by a person, is not violated through arbitrary seizures of a particular class of individuals in order to serve the rest.

Generally, the founding fathers of the United States evidently realized that danger, where democracy would result in a redistribution of property from the diligent, able, daring and disciplined to those who were less disciplined, able, daring and diligent. This is a socialist affair that is seen in most western democracies. Such issues would shock the founding fathers of the United States. They believe that what people needed was liberty and the concept apparently took course in the land of the Americans.  

Additionally, there is a looming danger of immigration. The United States has completely lost control of its boundaries as many illegal immigrants have finally found their way into America. It appears as though most of the illegal immigrants will be permitted to legally stay in the United States. Currently, both major parties have an interest in them because the Hispanic vote is very crucial despite being the minority group. It is imperative to remember that a small percentage of votes can be decisive in an election. Looking at Europe, the problem of immigration has been very bad as Muslim immigrants with a more disparate culture than the Mexicans in America visiting the country.

In conclusion, the issue of the United States being a democracy has not been without some limits. In essence, the United States is known more for liberty than is the case of democracy. Democracy cannot solve the serious problems and challenges that the United States has faced since it was founded. Such solutions have required short term pain for the achievement of lasting results.  The current democratic leaders and other politicians have found this very hard to accomplish but the United States has sailed through in pursuit of liberty, which has saved the nation.