For political junkies, media pundits and politicians, next week is the super bowl.
The American people will fix their eyes on their television screens to witness the pinnacle of democracy: the American presidential election. As President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s campaigns write speeches and plan celebrations, it is important to step back and examine what the current political system is and remember what it can be.
It is truly discouraging to see the large number of people, particularly students, who remain naive about our political system. Though it has been one of the more successful ones in history, politics has slowly deterred its progress by overlooking founding documents and lunging government authority beyond its intended role.
Limited democracy is one of the fundamental principles in the American political system. The constitution and its amendments serve to protect those who find themselves within the minority. Leaders who were elected by the people have certain limitations and rules that restrict their power and the power of the majority.
In an ideal political democracy, this would work every time.
Yet examples of political failure are all around us. Politicians and interest groups that push agendas through legislation are only two of the most troubling issues with our current democracy.
In California, the majority of residents decided to overlook constitutional rights of the minority by voting against gay marriage. New York thinks it can order its residents to live healthier lives by violating personal choices and individual liberties. The governor there believes he has the authority to command New Yorkers to live “better” lives by banning the sale of large sugary drinks. Banning peaceful and voluntary interaction is just one example of how the majority pushes its will or lifestyle onto others, far exceeding the role of government.
Though these examples are very different, they draw a clear picture of just how defective our democracy is when it comes to protecting citizens from a faulty political system. Safeguards such as the Constitution and amendments are only as strong as we perceive them. Good government only exists as long as people are willing to fight for it.
I can’t think of a better term to describe the state of the political system today than the one I repeatedly hear without fail in almost every political conversation I find myself in: “The lesser of two evils.”
Different voters across the political spectrum resort to this term to rationalize their voting behavior. “Well, I know he is bad in some ways, but at least he is better than the other guy!” they say with a confused sense of loyalty.
As I have written in past columns, Romney and Obama aren’t just the faces of their parties; they represent the sickness that is prevalent within the system. In most occasions, their actions betray their words. They both support presidential power and legislation that overreach the authority delegated to them in the Constitution.
A vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil.
Reach the columnist at calfaro2@asu.edu or follow him at @AlfaroAmericano
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