The Origins of Modern Democracy

The Origins of Modern DemocracyMany people believe that the most successful and significant reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals. Often they are correct. Yet the causes that gave rise to the major movements were complex and varied. The driving forces that brought about some of the most important changes in our nation's history, for example, had very little or no formal education.The reasons for this are not completely understood, but a few things can be said. Many of the early reform movements were focused on protecting the economic and social standing of white men. Sometimes those seeking these reforms were focused on 'help' rather than 'taking.' Some of them were also motivated by religious beliefs, yet many of the most noted reformers were non-believers.Other movements were directed towards the protection of their local, state, and national governments from encroachment. In some cases the main focus was on the enforcement of local laws against w omen's suffrage. In other cases the main focus was on taking away the control of local officials from the federal government. In both cases there was a drive to broaden democracy to a larger and more inclusive range of American citizens.It was the effort to protect individual rights and freedoms that led to the establishment of many of the early civil rights movements. Many of the fundamental changes in American life that we consider fundamental today may have originated as struggles for these rights. Freedom of speech and association, for example, did not exist under European rule and the political activities that developed out of the Civil War were based on the right to free speech. New freedoms such as the right to vote were soon won.In many other cases, the efforts were directed against the national government rather than the states or the country as a whole. The effort to put women in the workforce and free blacks from the shackles of slavery was driven by the belief that each person should be treated equally before the law. The efforts to end child labor were also driven by the belief that children should have the same opportunities to work as adults did. A shift in America's view of women and their rights coincided with the demand for an end to segregation laws against interracial marriage. Similarly, the need to free black men from their bonds and adopt them into the American family were a result of their struggle for equal rights.But why was it necessary to expand the definition of democratic ideals? The main point of concern in the early twentieth century, of course, was the existence of large concentrations of wealth and power. These forces had held back progress since the beginnings of the nation. In addition, large, centralized, bureaucracies in general were considered untrustworthy and dangerous.If you lived in a small city or town, you did not want to live in a community ruled by an overbearing and corrupt governmental bureaucracy. If you worked in a large city, you did not want to get caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare that would rob you of your freedom and job security. And if you were a middle class American, you did not want to send your children to school under the watchful eye of government bureaucrats. The causes that eventually brought about the victories of the reform movements are no less worthy of our attention and support today.The development of the modern society that we know today is a direct result of the campaigns of human rights organizations and reform groups for civil rights. The cause for expanded democracy that sparked the Civil War is as strong today as it was in its heyday in the nineteenth century. When a president or senator campaigns on the promise of ending the abuses of a corrupt system, we should take him seriously. For we will be no better off without them than they were in the time of the reformers.