A belief in democracy

Most Americans believe in democracy - or say they do. The United States operates as a representative democracy. That means we elect leaders to do the work of governing, and we get to vote for those offices on a regular basis. If we like what our leaders are doing, we’re inclined to reelect them. If they disappoint us, we’re likely to replace them with someone else.

To make the system work, both those who are elected and those who do the electing need to do their duty. In general, each group has a couple of alternatives. When either one chooses the wrong course, the nation suffers.

Elected officials can do it the hard way or do it the easy way.

The hard way is to take governing seriously. That means making the effort to study an issue, weighing the pros and cons, considering the wishes of constituents, and then choosing how to vote on that issue, or how much importance to place on enforcing it.

The easy way is simply to become a partisan spear carrier, and vote the way the party leaders or contributors direct.

The first option requires loads of time and thought to learn the implications of an issue, studying its likely effects, researching the complex details, and conversing with knowledgeable people, while at the same time keeping an eye on the economic and political implications of the issue for constituents, and doing the perpetual campaigning required of a candidate in today’s world, including fundraising.

The second option is much easier: vote the party line, amass the campaign money that flows in as a result, and learn how to speak in public, hire skilled staff, and pay attention to constituent services. There are way too many officials who choose this option.

The job of governing doesn’t require advanced college degrees. But doing it right requires sound judgment, consideration of both sides of the issue, and a willingness to change one’s mind as more is learned about the ins and outs of the matter, or as conditions change. That means having the courage to face the charge of “flip-flopping.”

The other way to do the job insults the concept of democracy. Those whose “opinion” on an issue is only a knee-jerk response in line with their party’s leaders violate the trust their constituents place in them.

There are also two kinds of voters.

One, like the official or candidate who bases decisions on considered judgment, will study the pluses and minuses of those who run and serve before casting his or her vote in an election.

The other takes the easy route, and votes for whoever represents the party of his or her parents, or of his or her friends, or for whoever is the most entertaining or best-looking candidate. Or all too often, a citizen doesn’t make even the small effort to vote.

Officials and voters depend on each other. We get what we vote for. In this era of 24-hour media and continuous phone and internet access, it’s easy to lap up what’s fed to us. For representative democracy to work, voters need to do more. They need to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of candidates based on the candidates’ ability and judgment, rather than on their glibness, personal attractiveness, and TV ads.

Throughout American history, most of the time voters and candidates have risen to the task. But not always. Today the consequences of taking the easy way are more fraught than ever before. Today’s world is a more dangerous place than it used to be, and representative democracy calls us to get it right.