Government 101

Example of an effective response to a Mandatory Final Exam Essay (in class). This student had some idea that a broad question like this would be on the final. There are instructor comments throughout the document, denoted by the symbol .

Exam Question

Looking back over the Govt. 101 lectures/discussions, readings, films and handouts, what would you consider to be the five most essential conditions for democracy to thrive in a large nation-state like the U.S.? Why are these conditions necessary for democracy? Does America presently satisfy these conditions? Why or why not? (You can draw on any combination of political, social, economic, cultural, historic or religious factors.)

Answer

For a large nation-state to have a thriving democracy, five key conditions must be met . First among these is an educated electorate and a wise "learned aristocracy." To paraphrase Plato , an educated electorate is essential for a democracy chiefly because it is called upon to entrust candidates for office with power and at times is called upon to make decisions directly. It is imperative that the body politic be informed and not respond to the populist impulses or be lulled into surrendering their freedom by promises of salvation or profit.

A corollary to this requirement is that the nation's "elites" must also be wise and benign since they will often be the ones who lead the nation. Just as Plato concluded 2000 years ago, the elites must place the interests of the people and state first, or you slide down a path of tyranny and social unrest. Mexico is a good example of a state where the elites (descendants of an exploitive colonial class) are out for their own interests at the expense of the "swinish masses," to quote Jefferson. This leads to revolution and economic chaos which is becoming apparent in the poor state of Chiapas.

Next , a large democracy must have a common cultural background. A shared heritage is imperative for a large democracy because it keeps cohesion to democracy's naturally disordered state. Without a unified set of goals and values a democracy can splinter, as America did in the Civil War. De Tocqueville noted America's strong grass roots where he commented on our predilection for forming associations that were not conscious of class in comparison to European society. A democracy may be pluralistic with respect to its acceptance of many religions and races but it must have a shared tradition. America does. It is found in the Constitution and civilian government, for example.

A large democracy must also have a free press to thrive. The suppression of free thought is a major step toward tyranny. Without an independent and watchful press, a government may act as it pleases. Constitutional rights become moot when they are stolen away without a peep.

A large democracy must also have a stable economy in order to persevere. When the economy turns sour, all the factional and tyrannical impulses of man intensify. Germany rejected its nascent democracy on economic grounds and several East European nations are in danger of rejecting history. Lastly, a democratic nation state must also have a set of guaranteed rights for its citizens. Whether these rights are honored through judicial precedent based on Constitutional guarantees or by some other way, such guarantees are essential to the whole concept of consent of the governed and the legitimacy of leadership. As Locke noted, a government's legitimacy derives from its consent from the people. In return, it is obligated to guarantee the rights of the polity. Without these rights the citizenry cannot feel security or trust in the government. Even if all the other conditions of democracy are met, it can never be secure without assured rights for the people. Many South American "democracies" teeter on the brink of dictatorship because they simply don't respect the people, they show this by not honoring basic human rights.

America presently satisfies these essential elements of democracy. Although education of the polity is even more important today because of the creeping problem of deTocquevilleís "soft despotism." Rights must be maintained over comfort and privilege. A silk glove can hide an iron hand.

This student could have strengthened his introduction to the essay by listing the five conditions here. This would signal to the reader where the essay is going. Such a list would also facilitate any connections the student might make between the five essential elements of democracy.BACK

Here the student effectively ties the concept of education back to Plato, an important theorist studied earlier in the course. Plato had a lot to say about the importance of education to a healthy polis. Note how the student effectively uses other theorists covered in the course including Jefferson, deTocqueville, and Locke.BACK

The student makes an effective reference to a contemporary example, Mexico.BACK

In general, the student uses discrete paragraphs that focus on one main topic. To support paragraph flow, the student also uses transition terms such as "next," "also," and "lastly." These terms provide cues to the reader that the writer is moving on to a new point or idea.BACK