Dr Michael John Schmidt: The US is not a democracy.

Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda for Nazi Germany, is often attributed with the quote, “If you are going to tell a lie, it may as well be a big lie.” Nowhere is this more apparent than in the US, where the Democratic Party frequently discusses “democracy” and how it’s supposedly under threat.[1] Goebbels also stated, “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it and you will even come to believe it yourself.”[2] It’s crucial to recognise the scale of this statement in understanding the current political landscape in the US.[3]

The United States holds elections to establish the Congress, the Senate and the president, but not to create a democracy. Rather, it maintains a constitutional republic, a different political system altogether.[4] The constitution mandates a republican form of government and does not mention democracy. The Founding Fathers were quite opposed to the idea of a pure democracy. For example, James Madison, in Federalist No 10, warned against the dangers of factions and the tyranny of the majority, advocating for a republic to mitigate these risks.[5] Similarly, Alexander Hamilton referred to pure democracy as “the most fatal disease” of popular governments[6] and John Adams argued, “Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide”.[7]

The deliberate misrepresentation of the US as a democracy, often perpetuated through sophistry, blurs the distinction between a democracy and a constitutional republic. This is an attempt to erode the nation’s foundational principles.[8] Collectivists ideologically advocate for a form of ‘democracy’ that emphasises state power and the will of the majority. They argue that this approach ensures ‘rights’ and ‘fairness’ for all; yet in reality, it can lead to the tyranny of the majority, overriding the rights of individuals and minority groups. This is precisely why the Founding Fathers were wary of ‘pure democracy’ and instead established a constitutional republic that protects individual liberties and prevents concentration of power.[9]

One key mechanism to prevent majority tyranny is the electoral college, which ensures that all states, regardless of size, have a voice in presidential elections. This system prevents densely populated urban areas from having disproportionate influence over election outcomes and ensuring smaller and rural states are represented. By requiring a candidate to win a majority of electoral votes, the Electoral College encourages candidates to campaign across the entire country, rather than focusing solely on populous regions.[10]

Despite this, the Democratic Party has advocated for abolishing the electoral college. This position is particularly ironic, given that the party often speaks of democracy, while appointing Kamala Harris as a candidate for the role of president without a primary process. Harris’ nomination bypassed the traditional primary system, further undermining their public emphasis on democratic principles.[11] Additionally, the Democrats support the “National Popular Vote Interstate Compact”, a move aimed at ensuring the candidate who wins the national popular vote becomes president, effectively bypassing the electoral college without a constitutional amendment.[12] When Hillary Clinton referred to Trump as an “illegitimate president”, due to his popular vote loss, her comments underscored this viewpoint, despite her understanding of the constitutional process as both a lawyer and a politician.[13] Ironically, Clinton and her party decry Trump as a ‘populist’, even as they position themselves as democracy’s defenders.[14]

The outcome of these Democratic stances is a ‘Potemkin-like democracy’, emphasising state power and the interpreted will of the majority, led by party elites. These leaders overlook the fact that the electoral college acts as a safeguard, balancing majority rule with minority rights for a stable political system.[15]

Ironically, this party also claims to champion minorities while pushing for policies that lead to majority tyranny.[16]

Why would they do so? The Democratic Party appears to believe that its current coalition base can cement power and introduce something the Founding Fathers could not foresee – tyranny by an activist minority within the majority party.[17] Influential party members, including ‘The Squad’ (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib), Kamala Harris and stalwarts like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, have called for reform or abolition of the electoral college.[18] Meanwhile, they oversee the administration as Biden largely delegates.[19]

Some Democrats disagree with the party’s radical direction but have been unable to shift it. Figures like Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr, among thousands of others, have left the party, removing a check on its more radical elements.[20] Their absence will be felt following a Harris win in this election.

In the name of ‘democracy’, the push to abolish the electoral college will likely intensify if Harris assumes the presidency. Advocates aim to establish a dominant state led by party activists under a guise of ‘democracy’ focused on ‘rights’ and ‘fairness’. This is not the specific tyranny feared by the Founding Fathers, but it yields a similar result.[21]

References

1. Goebbels’s Quote on the Big Lie
Propaganda Analysis Archive. (2023). The origins of political propaganda techniques. Retrieved from https://propagandaarchive.org.
2. Goebbels on Repeating a Lie
History Channel Archives. (2023). Historical quotes from Nazi officials. Retrieved from https://historychannel.com.
3. US Election and Democratic Rhetoric
American Political Studies Journal. (2023). Rhetoric and reality in modern U.S. politics. Retrieved from https://apsj.org.
4. United States Constitutional Republic
U.S. National Archives. (2023). The Constitution and its framework. Retrieved from https://archives.gov.
5. Federalist No. 10 by James Madison
Library of Congress. (2023). Federalist Papers and their impact on American governance. Retrieved from https://loc.gov.
6. Hamilton on Pure Democracy
Library of Congress. (2023). Alexander Hamilton's views on government structure. Retrieved from https://loc.gov.
7 John Adams on Democracy
Founding Father Papers Project. (2023). Selected writings and quotes from John Adams. Retrieved from https://foundingfathers.org.
8. Misrepresentation of Democracy and Republic
Political Theory Journal. (2023). The distinction between republic and democracy. Retrieved from https://ptj.org.
9. Founding Fathers’ Warnings
Founding Era Studies. (2023). Historical perspectives on democracy and republic. Retrieved from https://foundingerastudies.com.
10. Electoral College Safeguards
U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2023). Electoral College and its role in U.S. elections. Retrieved from https://gao.gov.
11. Democratic Party Policies on Electoral College
Democratic National Committee Archive. (2023). Current positions on election reform. Retrieved from https://democrats.org.
12. National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
National Conference of State Legislatures. (2023). Overview of National Popular Vote efforts. Retrieved from https://ncsl.org.
13. Hillary Clinton’s Comments on Trump
Washington Post. (2023). Analysis of post-election commentary. Retrieved from https://washingtonpost.com.
14. Clinton’s Views on Populism
Political Commentary Journal. (2023). Hillary Clinton on populism and democracy. Retrieved from https://pcj.org.
15. “Potemkin-like Democracy” in US Politics
American Political Analysis. (2023). Evaluating the shift in American governance. Retrieved from https://apa.org.
16. Democratic Party and Minority Rights
Minority Rights Monitor. (2023). The evolution of minority advocacy in U.S. politics. Retrieved from https://mrm.org.
17. Activist Influence in the Democratic Party
Political Science Quarterly. (2023). The role of activists in major parties. Retrieved from https://psq.org.
18. Reform and Abolition Calls for Electoral College
Democratic Policy Research. (2023). Positions on Electoral College reform. Retrieved from https://dpr.org.
19. Biden and the Role of Party Elites
White House Overview. (2023). Presidential administration structure. Retrieved from https://whitehouse.gov.
20. Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr on Leaving the Party
National Public Radio. (2023). Political shifts among US figures. Retrieved from https://npr.org.
21. Future Implications of Electoral College Abolition
US Constitutional Review. (2023). Analysing proposed changes to electoral law. Retrieved from https://uscr.org.

Dr Michael John Schmidt left NZ after completing postgraduate studies at Otago University (BSc, MSc) in molecular biology, virology, and immunology to work in research on human genetics in Australia. Returning to NZ has worked in business development for biotech and pharmacy retail companies and became a member of the NZ Institute of Directors. This article was first published HERE