The United States is often referred to as one of the strongest democracies, but as of late there have been glaring cracks in the system that many have seen, culminating in the horrendous events of January 6th, 2021, which threatened our very institutions. From this, there are steps that the United States government could take to strengthen our democratic processes. One such idea are stronger election and voting laws, which protect voters and their rights on election day. In many states, state legislatures can provide an unfair advantage to certain districts by providing more polling stations to those who are more likely to vote for them than districts that skew against, thus threatening democratic integrity. These laws would need to be repealed ensuring stronger voting rights for groups so more of the population is represented, and thus more can take part in democratic process

The institutions that guard the United States’ strong government have held American society together for over two centuries, and the most important institution that has been taken for granted as of late is democracy. Democracy as a concept has endured for ages against many challenges to it. From the global impacts it has through the lives it empowers across the globe, democracy is one of the most valuable political and philosophical cornerstones of government abroad as well as the United States.

Democracy is unique in the sense where the public holds the power in national decision making. This makes it invaluable to a government’s stability as power is concentrated in the public. This is key to having a functional state, as through a dictatorship resentment could grow rapidly amongst a population. In giving the public the power to vote, change in public policy is possible in a nation. Therefore, citizens can use democracy to make their society beneficial for everyone involved.

Democracy is not without its flaws as a system, and we can all learn more from its core principles, but it is an invaluable tool of governance to me and I will continue to uphold its principles as an American citizen.