America's Democracy

As we celebrate America's 231st birthday, we ask ourselves what do we think of America's experiment in democratic self-governing? Has it turned out as planned? Is it functioning as it is supposed to? What is the function of democratic government? What are the risks in adopting a democratic form of government? How is America's democracy different from other democracies? How has it changed over the last two centuries? What developments, unforeseen by the original architects, are now interfering with the founding principles? What are the founding principles of our democracy? How are we to evaluate the health of a democracy? How does one cure an ailing democracy? What are the obstacles to maintaining a healthy democracy? Do we need to develop, invent, or evolve a new, more advanced form of government to overcome the ills of the older form? What might a more enlighten/mature form of government look like? How could it come into being? Would the older form of government need to be dismantled, or could the new be added on top of the old?

Participants: Billie Lagerwerff, Derek Breen, John Tytus, Ken Thompson

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