The beginnings of democracy are credited to the Greeks of the sixth century B.C. The word comes from two Greek words: demos, meaning “the people,” and kratein, meaning “to rule.” These two words are combined to form democracy, literally meaning “rule by the people.”
The Greeks viewed dictatorship as the worst possible form of government. Their civilization was comprised of small city-states (never more than 10,000 citizens), and all the men voted on all issues of government. They ruled themselves directly; every man a lifelong member of the decision-making body.
An incredible flaw, however, was the fact that women and slaves (more than 50 percent of the population) weren’t even considered citizens and were not allowed to vote.
American democracy is structured as a democratic republic or a representative democracy. This came about in the United States because the colonists were tired of taxation without representation and wanted a more fair system where the people had more say in the rule of the country.
They didn’t choose the Greek form of democracy, however, since they feared it would give the people too much power and would lend control of the government to the uneducated masses.
What they came up with was a representative democracy wherein elected representatives rule the government, rather than direct rule by the people. These representatives are elected with the idea that they will accurately represent their constituents; but in case some don’t, the U.S. government is divided into three branches to keep corruption in check. These three branches are the executive, legislative and judicial branches.
No one branch contains absolute power. Each branch is weighted against the others, creating a system of checks and balances to protect the principals of democracy. This system is in no way perfect, but what creation of mankind is?
Speaking of which, here we are. Shall we talk about democracy or practice it?
City Council may — by emergency resolution — place two questions on the November ballot, making a citizen referendum unnecessary.
The first? “Shall the City Council be comprised of four elected members and a directly elected mayor or six elected members and a directly elected mayor?”
The second? “Shall the members of City Council, other than the directly elected Mayor, be elected under a ward system or at large?”
It’s that simple.
Citizens and members of council can talk about democracy all they want to, and some bathe in the talk religiously. But unless the people vote on issues, no one can claim to accurately represent the will of the people. No one. Let’s stop blowing smoke, shall we?
I still don’t have a clue if the chicken or the egg came first, but I do know that I prefer to practice democracy — whether or not I like the outcome of the vote.
Christopher K. Amburgey of Middletown served on Middletown City Council in 2007.