Hill 1

Jerome Hill
English 111
Ms. Boyd
July 17, 2014
Argumentative Essay Outline
I. The United States technically is no longer considered a democracy due to the fact of
events that have taken place overtime by wealthy Americans which reshaped this
philosophy.
II. Democracy vs. Oligarchy
A. Philosophy
B. History
C. Why democracy is better than an oligarchy
III. Welcome to the Oligarch States of America
A. Common side effects
B. Goes against the countrys founding principals
IV. A Non-Political Party System
A. Voting will be more clear
B. Increase in middle-class values
C. Restoring power to the people
V. Presently The United States is no longer to be considered a democracy because of
certain events which have taken place in history which have allowed wealthy
Americans to reshape our countrys political philosophy to benefit themselves.

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Give Me Democracy or Give Me Death
In his most famous words Give me liberty or give me death Paul Revere delivered his
speech at St. Johns Church in Richmond, Virginia on March 23, 1775. This was a critical point
in American history as the 13 colonies united as one to take on the British who were under King
George III rule, who was also known to be a tyrant. A democracy was the philosophy deemed
necessary in order for the young United States to survive on its own. Times have changed, but
the circumstances have not, just as the American colonists were prepared to fight against King III
in order to fulfill their dreams and ambition that same philosophy today is at stake.
Unfortunately, the change that is taken place has been doing so since the 20
th
century. According
to the author Jeffrey Winters in his book Oligarchy, the founding fathers beliefs were to
establish a country where the common man collectively plays a role in the way The United States
is shaped politically, and economically. The United States technically is no longer considered
a democracy because the balance of power has shifted more towards the wealthy
Americans, who are able to dictate the outcome of the countrys political and economic
standing by using their wealth and influence to do so.
In order for America to be a part of a democracy there are certain conditions that have to
be present, the definition of democracy is a governmental system by which either the whole
population or eligible members of a state are elected through representatives. Another definition
is control of a group or an organization by the majority of its members. The history of democracy
in the United States dates back to the 1700s when our country was young, ambitious, and
looking to gain its own independence from Great Britain. According to a Lecture at Hilla
University for Humanistic Studies there are 4 basic elements in which democracy consists of and
are as followed: the protection of human rights for all citizens, active participation of the people,
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as citizens, in politics and civic life, rule of law which all the laws and procedures applies
equally to all citizens, and a political system for choosing and replacing the government through
free and fair elections. Now here is where the conflict of interest comes in to play, an oligarchy is
defined as a form of government in which power is only vested with a few people or in a
dominant class or clique; a government by the few. Another definition which is so eloquently
puts it defines an oligarchy as a small clique of private citizens who exert a strong influence on
government. Looking at both definitions and paying attention to the current events which are
taking place the problem is becoming a pandemic. Democracy is favored over an oligarchy
because it allows all Americans whether rich, or poor, black or white, homosexual or
heterosexual to have a say so in the matter when it comes to how their lives are going to be
shaped. Due to the fact that The United States has a dark history concerning equality how can
one honestly say that this is democracy? This is what our founding fathers meant when they
wanted to unite as one to gain their freedom under the tyrannous rule of King George III.
On a day to day basis there is always something going on in the news when it comes to
wealthy Americans, whether they have passed legislation to decrease corporate tax or finding a
loophole to avoid paying taxes, corporate greed, and the list just goes on and on. By paying
attention to the new some of the common side effects to an oligarchy America is that the middle
class has become more or less the lower income class unbalancing the cycle of democracy when
it comes to being represented in government. For instance, there have been several laws passed
by both political parties that will hurt the middle class financially. For an example, there have
been taxes that only apply to businesses and high income Ove $250,000 a year which may not
matter to the middle class, but has an indirect consequence. Creating laws that favors one group
of citizens based on income is considered unfair, and to some maybe even racist; remembering
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that a democracy is supposed to favor everyone, not just a certain group of people. As stated by
James D. West on What Would The Founders Think? Internet blog, in an article titled What
were the Founding Principles? He says that James Madison argued against any system allowing
special interests (factions) to gain control of the government. Mr. West also went further by
saying that Mr. Madison showed how in history majority factions tyrannized minorities, whether
the minorities were based on race, wealth, religion, or even geography.
Politics is another reason why democracy is in clear and present danger because of the
malarkey that goes on between the Democrats and the Republicans. A prime example of this is
when the government shutdown, this was a ripple effect that was felt across the country. Seeing
this from a 3
rd
person point of view a relative of mine works with clients who have
developmental disabilities, in order to be paid the company he works for on relies on the
Medicare/Medicaid to be paid on behalf of their client. When the government shut down this
process was no longer available leading to staff members being out of work for 2 weeks straight,
not to include the fact that bills are still coming in. All of this was caused because neither side
could have their way when it comes to creating new legislature; instead of doing what is best for
the American people it has turned to what is best for the party. In Jesse Venturas book
DemoCrips and ReBLOODicans: No More Gangs in Government he explains how political
candidates are funded by corporations in order to be elected to pass laws in favor of big business
instead of the little people. He even goes further to claim that political candidates should wear
NASCAR jackets because on NASCAR jackets people can see who a certain driver is sponsored
by. If politicians did this, then the American public will know who a candidate is really
representing. Having a non-political party system creates a neutral environment in politics;
because this allows the public to see who and how a politician is going to represent them viruses
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a certain brand (political party). The last time America has had a no party president was when
George Washington was president, this type of system will for sure create a balance in
government when it comes to the representation of the wealthy, middle, and lower income
individuals.
Presently The United States is no longer to be considered a democracy because of certain
events which have taken place in history which have allowed wealthy Americans to reshape our
countrys political philosophy of benefit themselves. Allowing America to become uprooted
from its basic philosophy has proved to be a terrible idea. In order to secure a future in
democracy necessary steps has to be taken in order for this to be a success, failure to do so will
make us all slaves to government to a certain degree. In the powerful words of Fredrick Douglas
Power concedes noting without demand, meaning if America does wake up and refuse to stay
vigilant our freedom, beliefs, and dreams will be snatched right in front of us, and then it will be
too late. If America does not demand change then there is no one left to blame; we can only
blame ourselves.









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Works Cited
Best, James D. What Would The Founders Think?: What were the Founding Principles?.
Copyright 2010-2014. Web. 15 July 2014
Winters, Jeffrey A. Oligarchy. Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print
Dictionary.com Unabridged. Oligarchy. Random House Inc. , 7 July 2014. Web
Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/OLIGARCHY
Author Unknown. What is Democracy ? Lecture at Hilla University for Humanistic Studies
January 21, 2004. Web. 7 July 2014
Ventura, Jesse with Russel, Dick. DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODicans: No More Gangs in
Government. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. , 2012. E-book. 30 June 2014