Liberalism vs. Democracy

In writing the Constitution the founding fathers attempted to synthesize the calls of the Declaration of Independence—ideas of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—to protect individual rights with the desires of democracy to develop collective self-government. The intricate system of checks and balances was designed for the purpose of preserving this sense of equilibrium between liberalism and democracy; however, as the nation has matured—through refoundings and periods of crisis—this stability has often vacillated. Today, Milkis and Landy suggest that the public faces distinctive challenges in balancing liberalism and democracy resulting from a new sense of factionalism and a growth in the administrative state. These challenges have manifested themselves through the political culture, the evolved and competitive roles of institutions to protect individual liberties, and through the impacts of crisis situations; American history has been a narrative describing how these forces and institutions have abetted the competition between liberalism and democracy. New factionalism and the growth of the administrative state have tipped the scales in favor of liberalism to the point where Milkis and Landy question if we have lost our ability to conduct democracy. Although an increased awareness of individual rights hinders collective self-government, it does not erase the fundamental principles that maintain a proper balance between liberalism and democracy. As the events of 9/11 have demonstrated, democratic principles still play an integral role in protecting the common good. America will always face the challenge of mediating the wants of collective self-rule and liberalism due to the very nature of American political culture. The character of the citizenry of the United States was founded upon the revolutionary principles: a fierce sense of individuality and a sense of distrust towards governmental authority. Without the people’s tenacity to pursue liberalism,

Cited: Landy, Marc and Milkis, Sidney M. American Government: Balancing Democracy and Rights. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2004.