Democracy as a form of government is an ancient practice. In the pre-Roman era, democracy is generally understood to begin in Athens, around the 7th century B.C.E. Most of the other Grecian states at the time were oligarchies, and in order to quell the rebellions in Athens, a new form of government was created.
Democracy transforms over time to be the faction against tyranny. For most proponents of democracy, power in the hands of one person or a few people leads to strife created by the many being in subordination to the few.
Unfortunately, the past recent decades are slowly demonstrating how people naturally adhere to a power structure in favor of the latter.
For a democracy to be successful, the power must be in the hands of many. So many, in fact, that no small amount of people create negative change that many endure. Because of this, democracy is a very inefficient government model.
For this ecosystem to proliferate, information must be shared fairly and openly so one side won't gain an advantage. Using this information to make informed decisions that are the best for the most people is how this system stays in motion. The people in the most category outnumber the people in the fewer category.
It's because of the majority rules mindset that democracy promotes utilitarianism. Utilitarianism tells us that the right and just choice is the one that makes the most people happy.
However, politically, and historically, when it comes to the president, this promotion does not exist. Yes, there is a vote held in which a president is elected. The majority vote is (usually) the deciding factor.
If the promotion existed elections would look a bit different, and party platforms would look a bit different too.
If this were a true democracy, and everyone voted in what would be in the best interest for everyone, politics wouldn't be cutthroat. A party platform would be something along the lines of better funds for education and space programs, flat tax rate across all people, unified healthcare, regulated credit, loan, and investment industries, better public transport, higher minimum wages and better working conditions, environmental regulations, etc..
It's apparent to most that our country is actually pretty far off the mark from the above platform. That platform comes at a cost to people like you and me. Or our parents. We pay taxes for healthcare, the funds from space and education would likely come out of the military budget, the regulation would come as a loss to the bankrolled congressman's pockets, the transportation would come as higher property taxes in heavily populated cities, higher minimum wages would come at a cost to C.E.O.'s, investor returns, and increased overhead, etc..
It's obvious to see why these things haven't been happening. Because what's in the best interest for everyone, isn't in my personal interest. It's not in your personal interest.
Since about World War I, the trend for the U.S. parties have been shocking. The rate at which the crevice between the two main schools of thought have been separating is astounding. No longer do we live in a time where we want the best for everyone. Now, we live in a time where we want to be ruled by someone completely aligned to our ideology -- because it's in our best interest to put someone up top that fights for us and not them. It's logical... doesn't mean we should sit idly by and watch it.
This election, take some time to think about what I just said. If you believe democracy is the goal, then vote in the best interest for the most people. Understand, this means you will likely have to vote for someone who is not at all aligned with your ideals (if you are in the minority of major political thought).
However, if you think your minority of political thought outweighs the majority, to the point that you're going to act on it, that's fine. Some things do really need to change. Some changes come at a great cost, though. America is poised to lose a lot in the next coming months, what are you willing to sacrifice to keep it whole? Or for some of you non-democratic types: what are you making others sacrifice for you?
