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Democracy in America Review
Democracy in America Review
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Introduction
Democracy in America is a book that consists of two volumes. The author of the book, Alexis de Tocqueville, completed the first volume in 1835 and the second one in 1840. In 1831, Tocqueville was working as a lawyer in his country (France) when the county’s government sponsored him for a nine-month visit to America to study various aspects related to American democracy. Tocqueville was sent together with Gustave de Beaumont, who was working as a magistrate. The two gathered information through interviews from more than 200 Americans on various topics related to social practices, law and politics (Tocqueville, 2007). Although the primary aim of the book is to examine the purpose and extent of democracy in America, it has extensive information pertaining communication studies. Among other concepts, the book explains the source of American culture and language. The impact of democracy and institutions such as Jury and religion freedom of speech in America is also explicit in the book. The second volume provides an extensive explanation of how democracy influenced Americans to focus on practical science rather than theory. The ultimate impact was deficiency in quality of their products, including drama, literature and poetry works (Tocqueville, 2007). The book is unique in the sense that some of these concepts are hardly explored in communication studies. The extensive exploration of such concepts makes the book qualify for the purpose of study in our communication class. This paper provides a reflective analysis of various concepts that relate to communication studies in the book.
Analysis
In the first volume of the book, Tocqueville begins with exploration of social and cultural aspects of people who lived in different parts of America in early 19th century. Tocqueville notes that the Red Indians who inhabited different parts of North America prior to the entry of people from other regions were socially disorganized and relied more on hunting than agriculture. As people from different parts of the world moved to America, they interacted and started using the same language, which ultimately ended up in building American English (Tocqueville, 2007). The natives also learned the new language and started sharing it with the immigrants. English language was more influential since North America was once a British colony. The Britons, who migrated to America, exerted their influence to the natives and slaves in different aspects of life, including language. They applied criminal and political laws which were borrowed from Britain in North America. However, there was slight modification in laws that were meant to meet the conditions that existed in America (Tocqueville, 2007). Also, people from different social and cultural backgrounds practiced some social and cultural aspects of their forefathers, especially the natives. They also shared different cultural aspects. As a result, American people had a unique culture and language. When reading the first three chapters of the book, I found out that it provided a brief explanation of how the current unique America culture developed. The book enhanced my knowledge about how people from different cultural and racial backgrounds in America ended up having one common culture and language . Exploring how a society built up its culture and language is one of the key concepts explored in communication studies.
In chapter sixteen of the fist part of the second volume, Tocqueville gives an elaboration about how the unique language of Americans was built. According to Tocqueville, the myriad of changes in cultural aspects of American people was highly facilitated by the presence of democracy that was practiced by rulers, rather than aristocracy that was present in countries such as Britain and France (Tocqueville, 2007). Tocqueville notes that the English language that was being spoken by educated people in Britain had significant variations from the English language that was spoken by educated people in America. According to Tocqueville, language usually remains static in a country where autocracy is embraced. Changes hardly occur to the existing words and new words are hardly invented in an autocratic system. This, according to Tocqueville, explains the fact that no significant changes took place in the English language that was being spoken by educated persons in Britain (Tocqueville, 2007). On the other hand, Tocqueville noted that persons in democratic systems like making changes even without good reasons. This is evident in their politics, as well as in their language. Even when they do not have to change words, they try to transform them. In most cases, the new words that are invented by people in a democratic system tend to represent new ideas. They borrow ideas from the daily activities they engage in. According to Tocqueville, this explains the reason many words added by Americans to their English language were acquired from the language of trade, mechanical arts and jargon of parties (Tocqueville, 2007). I found this chapter being quite relevant for communication studies since it provides an explanation of the impact of democracy and aristocracy on language. I had never encountered the concept before or thought about the connection. I learned that democracy and aristocracy have different impacts on language.
In the second chapter of the firsts part of the first volume, to Tocqueville explores the issue of equality and freedom in American society. Tocqueville noted that people of American had a passion for equality and freedom. Tocqueville also explores the same issue in chapter two of the second part of the second volume. Although Tocqueville is concerned with the possible negative impact of too much passion for equality, he notes that equality and freedom coexisted in American society (Tocqueville, 2007). According to Tocqueville, the two were able to coexist because of existence of a local government that supported ways of exercising freedom by citizens. Tocqueville elaborates the issue through explaining key local liberties that were offered to citizens in laws in chapter five of the first part of the first volume. Also, Tocqueville explains that the existence of an independent jury that supported and propagated the local liberties played a major role in enhancing freedom in America. The impact of the jury is explained in length in chapter sixteen of the first part of the first volume. In addition to the existence of jury and laws supporting freedom, Tocqueville noted that religion played a major role in enhancing freedom in America. According to Tocqueville, religion played the role of teaching Americans how to utilize their freedom well. As a result, the government hardly intervenes through interference of freedom. Tocqueville gives a lengthy explanation of the connection between religion and freedom in chapter nine of the first part of the first volume. One of the key impacts of the ultimate freedom noted by Tocqueville is freedom of speech. Tocqueville notes that journalists were hardly restricted in writing content on newspapers. Also, people had freedom of speech which was recognized in laws. Thus, after reading the book, I learned that freedom of speech existed in America for a long time ago. I discerned the source of the current rights of freedom of speech that that are enjoyed by American people (Tocqueville, 2007). I felt that this might have been one of the factors that led to growth of journalism in America. Freedom of speech and how people utilize it is an important concept for communication studies and thus, I found the issue as being important for exploration in our communication class.
In chapter ten of the first part of the second volume, Tocqueville noted that Americans were more concerned with practical science than theory. According to Tocqueville, this is due to the fact that democracy is not conducive to abstract knowledge that is applied in theoretical science, which requires mediation and thought. Although this leads to an increase in material prosperity and innovation, people may end up forgetting principles and hence, dwindle away civilization (Tocqueville, 2007). In the next chapter, Tocqueville notes that this is one of the reasons why Americans focused on quantity and not quality when producing their artistic works. They were less concerned with reality and more concerned with appearance. This could also explain the reason why the Americans did not attach importance to the meanings of monuments, despite being plenty. Rather than taking an intellectual endeavor in literature, Tocqueville notes that people in a democratic society perceive it as a trade and take an industrial spirit. Tocqueville elaborates this issue in chapter fifteen of the second volume in which he explores the differences between American literature and Latin and Greece literature. According to Tocqueville, Latin and Greece literature of aristocratic ages indicated that they did nothing at random or with haste; rather they concentrated on every line that they wrote and tried to achieve perfection. In short, their literary works portrayed exceptional skills (Tocqueville, 2007). On the other hand, the literature works written during democratic ages, such as during the period when Tocqueville visited America, were naturally deficient and did not portray keenness. In addition, Tocqueville noted that the literature works produced during aristocratic ages have remained relevant throughout, unlike most of the literature works of democratic ages, which quickly became irrelevant. According to Tocqueville, the same applies to other aspects of literature such as poetry and drama. For these reasons, Tocqueville argued that the significant disparity between literature works of aristocratic ages and democratic ages implied that literature of democratic ages should not be read (Tocqueville, 2007). When reading chapters nine to eighteen of the first chapter of the second volume, I realized that Tocqueville exposed the negative impacts of democracy on various communication aspects of people, including artistic works, literature, poetry and drama. I did not know about the connection before. I learned that much of the existing literature is borrowed from countries in which aristocracy has existed for a long time and hardly from countries in which there has been democracy. This is an issue that relates to communication studies and would like to explore and understand it further.
Overall, I found Democracy in America as being a useful book for communication studies. Tocqueville gives a background that enables the reader to understand the source of the current unique culture and language of Americans, despite the fact that their forefathers have different cultures and languages. Further, the Tocqueville explains the impact of democracy and institutions such as religion and jury in enhancing freedom in America, which has had a positive impact on freedom of speech among Americans. As well, the book gives an elaborate explanation of the reason why American literature, poetry, drama and other communication aspects created during democratic age might be deficient in comparison to those that were create in aristocratic ages in other countries. The existence of such concepts, which are extensively explored, explains why the book can be recommended for reading in class.
References
Tocqueville, A. (2007). Democracy in America. Ed. Isaac Kramnick. Trans. Henry Reeve.
New York: Norton.
Democracy in America Today
Democracy in America Today
Axia College of University of Phoenix
Pos/110
Final Project: Democracy in America
Over time, American Democracy has been transformed from its original foundation’s form. With all its adaptations, it still seems to be a well structured democratic form that supports our nation. The structure of our democracy has both strengths and weaknesses. In this essay, I will provide a review of the state of our democracy in America today. This essay will include my own viewpoint on the weaknesses and strengths of our governmental structure and include a number of subjects that are part of our constitutional rights, civil liberties, civic values, the role of our President and bureaucratic agencies in our government today.
There have been many changes within America’s democracy that have allowed us to arrive at our current state. Some of these changes have actually harmed our democratic process and our citizens. Some have helped us to achieve greater things within our democracy. Some changes have weakened our structure and our ability to take care of ourselves. Some changes have been benign, exerting little overall effect on our democratic processes. We face many obstacles and problems in our society today, but we do not always recognize the threat that these pose to our government and security.
The one thread that all American’s have in common in their position on democracy is that our democracy’s health affects every man, woman and child in our country and affects all those who live here. Everyone has their own perspective on the issue of democracy. One such view is that “Democracy is the means to select any policy maker and government, in which the policy would then represent the citizens’ preferences” (Edwards, Wattenberg, & Lineberry, 2008, p.14). To me, democracy is the pinnacle of justice, peace and freedom for all people. The most basic freedom accorded to every U.S. citizen is the right to free speech. This is not a universal freedom in other countries and is not to be taken lightly. We also enjoy several other unique freedoms. These are the right to vote, the right to adhering to any religion or to believe and follow no religion, and the right to act as long as we do not infringe upon the rights of others. (Edwards, et al. 2008).
I do feel that our government is quite corrupt. It seems that the trend is towards government worsening our society and this is not likely to change soon. The very right to say this is inherent in our democracy. Criticism of the government includes review of the manner in which governmental officials conduct business. Political instability, the misuse of power and moral decay are all factors that increase the wealth and power of those in places of privilege, allowing them to increase their power further by political access and appointment. (Edwards, et al. 2008). This ability leads only to further corruption. The members of our society that have been marginalized economically are not having their needs met in the current political climate. This lower class has emerged in a way that is limiting their basic rights. The decay in the moral fiber of our society has led government to pass laws that control aspects of our behavior which common sense should rule, such as school prayer and smoking in public places. This process infringes on rights since some members of society act irresponsibly.
Everyone has their individual view of how democracy should function. In my own view, positive changes need to be affected in governmental process for equality and opportunity to be accorded to every American citizen.
The beliefs and values that all members of our society share are our American Civic Values. The most basic belief is freedom and justice for all people. Our democratic society uses a number of programs, laws and regulation to strengthen our civic values. Individuals use volunteerism and sound ethical practices to strengthen them. When we teach our children good civic values, we are teaching them to respect one another, to share and to take responsibility for each other in a positive, supportive way. These things engender a strong civil and political culture that better serves us all.
For example, when community members help one another and stand up for what is right, refusing to tolerate bigotry, drug trafficking and other harmful practices, we engender respect for one another and have healthier communities. The penalties for allowing ourselves to stray from our civic values are imposed through the enforcement of laws and regulations. Anti-discrimination laws uphold the basic right of freedom for all. These laws enforce the rights of individuals to pursue their livelihoods and to live where they please, regardless of their race, ethnic or cultural background, gender or their sexual or religious preferences.
Our world has changed in both technological and economic ways that threaten the intentions and accomplishments of our founding fathers. The Constitution is at risk of being overrun in our current political climate. The gap between the rich and poor in American society had been narrowed during the last 50 years of the last century. It has been widened during the past decade and threatens our social stability. Many people like to say that America is a place of equality and opportunity. In my opinion, it is still a place of disparity and inequality. The most basic element of our democratic process that should be its greatest strength has become our greatest weakness. This is a great issue among those in our society who cannot find access to services or opportunity and is swept under the rug by those members of our society who have been able to find a way to succeed inside the system.
A new type of inequality has crept over us in the recent past. It is the way in which government shows bias to one group of citizens over another. These economic disparities strengthen the cause of those who have against those who do not have. They relate specifically to the disparate distribution of resources, education and income potential. Those members of our society who have been marginalized have much less political voice and therefore can expect to continue to receive less in the way of equal treatment and equal access to services and education. Reviewing the Constitution and American Democracy in light of what I have learned in this course, I find that the Bill of Rights is the foundation of all our rights as American citizens. The Bill of Rights protects us from congress passing any law which would abridge our rights to practice our own religion, our freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, and the right to petition the government. I believe that protection of civil liberties is essential and has to be carefully guarded in our society. The government takes away more rights, often surreptitiously. Freedoms are challenged in ways that have little to do with the intention stated by the government when they enact new laws, such as the Patriot Act, which allows monitoring of private citizens internet use. Spying of U.S. citizens has also become acceptable under current law. Why would that be acceptable? This constitutes unreasonable search and should never have been made law to start with. The level of privacy invasion in today’s U.S. society is somewhat shocking. It is implicit in settings where a large number of people would be at risk, such as in airport travel screenings.
There are a wide variety of ways in which it is up to all of us to strengthen our communities by upholding civic values in our lives. All of the rights that we stifle will continue to affect American citizens in their daily lives. It is up to us as citizens to take responsibility for our rights. We have no right not to know what is being done in our name. This country was founded on first on freedom and it is time to regain civil liberty and equal rights.
The founding fathers framed our United States Constitution so that we would have an established, stable form of government that would function at the will of the people. They designed our government as three branches that were to equally share power in balance with one another. These are the Legislative Branch (Congress), the Executive Branch (Presidential) and the Judicial Branch (The Courts). The stability afforded by the interplay of these three branches is the strength of our government as a whole.
A formal system of checks and balances was established to control each of the three branches. This limits their power so that one branch cannot dominate the government. This system is essential to the proper working of our democracy. The Electoral College was designed to eliminate corruption in our system. It instead serves unethical government officials. The electoral system does protect Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The electoral system is meant to allow a group of officials to make the final decision on the election of the U.S. President. The Electoral College system has an extensive background and is well grounded in our current government. I do not, however, believe that it truly serves the American people to give them representation by vote. It gives government officials the right to elect who they see fit instead of taking the straight one man one vote to elect our President. This is one of the basic precepts of democracy and so, I feel, the electoral process thwarts the intention of democracy. Many people say they do not vote because their vote will not count under the electoral process. Elimination of the electoral system would likely bring an increase in voter turnout and eliminate apathy toward our system.
The U.S. Constitution is grounded in a system of power by the people for the people. We can support and help our President to succeed through being actively involved in our governmental processes. This core value of participation by the people in the interest of the people as a whole has been lost in our country. The majority is meant to rule our government, not the other way around. Minority values are to be represented in our government as well.
The Constitutional powers of our President is accorded allows them the authority to make decisions that affect our immediate national security. The role of “Commander in Chief” is the most important of all of the President’s functions. The President is limited to a reasonable authority through exercising the checks and balances that are in place in our government. The President’s main job is to protect the democratic process in our country. This is the source of our safety and stability.
A number of different bureaucratic agencies have direct effects on my daily life. Some of these are the United States Postal Service (USPS), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Each one of these agencies is designed to serve different needs of Americans and to protect the public at large.
We work around the schedules of these agencies so that we can get a motor vehicle or commercial vehicle license, purchase private or public land and to protect our business and personal interests. Some of these agencies have regulatory functions, such as the EPA and others provide us with services, such as the USPS. The requirements that they place in our path during our process is one of red tape that involves considerable performance on our part to meet standards of eligibility. Even things that do not require us to deal directly with government agencies, such as receiving many prescription medications from our health provider, require that they meet regulations and legal requirements to get into our hands.
The matter of governing ourselves is one of our greatest privileges and responsibilities. I believe that our founding fathers did an excellent job of framing a structured government that operates on the basis of morals and strong values. Some changes do need to be affected to discontinue political corruption in our country. The marginalization of many members of our society through economic disparity has yielded political access and corruption in the wealthier members. This is not the democracy that American was built upon. Only with true justice, peace and equality are we doing our best as a nation.
References:
G. Edwards III, R. Lineberry, & M. Wattenberg. (2008). Government in America People, Politics, and Policy. Retrieved on November 9, 2009.
Dementia, Pathophysiology and Etiology
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Dementia, Pathophysiology and Etiology
Dementia is a brain disorder that affects an individual’s thinking and reasoning capacity. Dementia involves a combination of many neurodegenerative diseases and conditions that affect daily activities as opposed to a single disease. It mainly affects neurons and cells in the cerebral cortex causing deterioration of function in the cortex (Alzheimer’s Association Web). Dementia mainly affects older people aged 65 years and above because old age is a contributing factor. Neurodegenerative disorders are the main causes of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease contributing 60-70% of the cases (Davis Web). Other diseases associated with dementia include dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. The diseases often cause brain damage leading to premature brain degeneration and cell death. Thus, an individual’s mental activity is affected, causing memory loss and thinking incapability. The collection of isolated proteins in the brain is the main cause of brain damage that leads to dementia. Dementia is often not a hereditary disease, but a few cases of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease can be hereditary. Shortage or interruption of blood supply to the brain often causes vascular dementia. Other causes of dementia include vitamin B and thyroid hormone deficiency, head injury, brain tumors, prolonged alcohol abuse, and depression (Bourgeois and Ellen 17).
Signs and Symptoms
Dementia often manifests itself in various symptoms, both mental and physical. Memory loss and inability to reason are the main symptoms of dementia, where an individual fails to keep track of vital things such as wallet and keys, forgets to pay bills, prepare meals, or appointments. The individual also experiences difficulty communicating, organizing, planning, handling complex tasks, coordinating and other motor functions. In addition, the individual also suffers detrimental mood swings, hallucinations, paranoia, irritability and other personality changes. Visual perception and disorientation such as getting lost easily are also symptoms associated with dementia. Most dementia signs and symptoms are progressive and worsen with time; thus, early diagnosis is recommended for treatment, management and future planning (McNamara 35).
Treatment
Most cases of dementia such as Alzheimer’s diseases have no cure, and treatment options often aim at reducing symptom development. Both drug and nondrug options are available for the management of dementia. Drug based options include medications that help in boosting the levels of chemicals associated with memory and judgement in the brain. The drugs include galantamine, rivastigmine and donepezil. Memantine is another drug that helps in the regulation of glutamate, a brain chemical that controls essential brain activities such as memory and learning. Nondrug options include therapies and lifestyle adjustment (Bourgeois and Ellen 133). Occupational therapies are often recommended to help an individual cope with the condition and adapt to daily activities and movement while living with dementia. Modifying the environment helps an individual function and focus by reducing noise and clutter. Handling the individuals with care, such as avoiding scolding, correcting, or quizzing them helps improve the condition. Making tasks easier to reduce confusion for people with dementia is also essential in managing the condition.
Prevention
Dementia can be prevented by adopting various behaviour and lifestyle changes. Both physical and mental activity helps in delaying the onset of the condition and reducing its symptoms. Engaging in various activities such as board games, memory training, sports, and social interactions help in keeping an individual active. Lifestyle changes such as adopting habits that aim at lowering the blood pressure and quitting smoking help in reducing the risk of dementia. Maintaining a healthy diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids, vegetables and fruits helps in boosting an individual’s health and reducing the risks of dementia. Research has also revealed that reading and pursuing education helps the brain to build a strong network of nerve cells that help in compensating the brain damage caused by neurodegenerative diseases (MediLexicon International Limited Web). Thus, education helps in reducing mental decline that often leads to dementia.
Works Cited
Alzheimer’s Association. What Is Dementia? 2014. Web. 26 May 2014.
Bourgeois, Michelle and Ellen Hickey. Dementia: From Diagnosis to Management – A Functional Approach. Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis, 2011. Print.
Davis, Charles. Dementia. Medicine Net, 1996. Web. 26 May 2014.
McNamara, Patrick. Dementia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Print.
MediLexicon International Limited. What is dementia? The signs, symptoms and causes of dementia, 13 Mar. 2009. Web. 26 May 2014.