Broken Democracy

Elections are happening all around the world - the US is having theirs today. And it looks like the outcome will be messy, regardless of who wins.

Shannon was doing a topic this year on the characteristics of a Democracy, and one of the main ones is for people to choose their leader/government - i.e. the right to vote.

This seems correct, responsible, and probably the only way forward - but why is the world in such disarray today?

I've explained to the kids how voting works, how to decide who to vote for, and what the outcomes are. But here are the problems I struggle with.

  1. The candidates are always limited (obviously), so you don't end up choosing who you really like, but the one who you dislike less.
  2. If your candidate doesn't win, you'll end up with a leader you don't like anyway - so what's the point?
  3. A single person's vote statistically doesn't make any difference - but don't tell too many people, because then nobody will vote and then those that do vote will have a statistically higher influence.
The problem in many countries now is with point 2. Many are so divisive that nobody is ever happy. It's like 2 kids playing with a single toy - the other one is always upset and wants the toy back. Once a country ends up in this downward spiral, it is hard to get back on track. It's not just 2 kids playing, it's millions.

I think the term we are looking for is political tolerance.
  • The ruling government has to have the interests of all citizens at the core of their policies, not just those who voted for them. Their plans need to be transparent and honest, and not for their own political gain (i.e. to stay in power, or monetary gain).
  • Citizens should support the ruling party, regardless if it was their choice - having faith that the government is ruling the country for the benefit of all. This is the tough bit, as people are always skeptical of governments and politicians everywhere. Hence, the government has to do its best to gain the trust of the people.
These are just my simple opinions, probably not relevant in the real world of politics, corruption, extremists, and divisiveness. But this is how I will explain it to my kids, a simplified and watered-down way of how a "perfect country" can run - which of course, doesn't exist.