The Role Of Democracy In American Politics

“Americans believe democracy should be a procedure to make political decisions, to choose political leaders, and to select policies for a nation…Democracy is valued primarily for the decisions it produces” (Barbour and Wright 45). The foundation of democracy is built upon the input of citizens and outcomes reflecting the collective interests of the majority, not those of the decision makers and minority groups. However, American politics doesn’t necessarily exemplify these ideals, “In the absence of a clear majority, the outcome is decided by those who make the rules” (Schiffer). In reality, outcomes are heavily influenced by the decision makers and trump the preferences of the majority and disregard the democratic essences. Party leaders and