Democracy in America Before the Civil War
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Democracy in the Modern World
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During American Expansion, democracy was evident. When America claimed it's new western territories after the Mexican War, the government had to decide if they were slave or free territories. When two new western territories of Kansas and Nebraska wanted to join America so there could be a transcontinental railroad, congress was faced with the difficult decision of making them slave or free territories. Stephen A. Douglas solved the problem in 1854 by suggesting to ignore the Missouri Compromise line 30°36 and have the territories decide if they were going to be slave or free by having the settlers in the territories vote. Douglas also hoped that he would win the support of Southerners with this and win the presidential election over Lincoln.
This shows democracy in having the people create the environment in which they lived -- not a dictator who makes the decision for the entire body. The people were able to vote on what they believed was right for their new government; if the territories were going to be slave territories or free territories. Since the settlers got to vote, settlers from both the North and the South moved into the territories to try to make them either slave or free. Two parties were created in this campaign; the Freesoilers who wanted a free territory, and the border ruffians. Though this turned out in fighting, it shows how the American's had a say and took part in their democratic government. |
The Ukrainian government is democratic. For years they have
been trying to become closer to European Union since they thought it would excel
their own democracy away from the ways that the Soviet Union (now Russia) had governed
them. Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s president, was elected because he promised the
people that he would move them towards the EU But he
went back on his promise and made a treaty with Russia. This resulted in
violent protesting the capital Kiev between EU government supporters who
disagreed with the president’s move; and the Russian government supporters. The
protesting was finally stopped after the president fled and a new interim
government was put into place. This was when Russia took Crimea. They took
Crimea because the land that was once theirs had established very powerful
naval bases in the Soviet Union era, and they weren’t prepared to let go of it.
Now, the people in Crimea fear that they will not have their voices heard in the government. They beleive that Russia will take away any say that they have, and they will be dictated over. This relates to democracy by taking people's voices away. Democracy is the people's voices, so if it is taken away, democracy will no longer exist in the Ukrainian government. This is what one pro-European Union Ukrainian, Firsov, fears. He said, “Do you think our referendum will be held the way things are done in America? No. The referendum results will be falsified. No one will ask us if we want to remain in Ukraine or become part of Russia." He sees his hope for a democracy already slipping away as Russia has started the annexing process in Crimea. The fear in of losing all of their democratic government Crimea is spreading , and no one knows how long it will be before Russia will make the next move. |
Video displaying life in Crimea.