How To Assess the Strength of Democracy in the US

The presidential inauguration is an appropriate time to reflect and renew our engagement as committed participants in a healthy democracy. As we take stock of the strength of our democracy, how do we also help students make sense of the divisions in society, assess the state of US democracy, and consider their role in strengthening it?

We might begin by examining the idea of democracy itself. In the Defining Democracy lesson in our US History Curriculum Collection, we ask students to explore the meaning of democracy by analyzing a dictionary definition, reading and reflecting on a series of quotations and statements, and then demonstrating their own understanding of what democracy can mean in the United States.

We can also analyze what strengthens democracy, and what weakens it—a central theme in Facing History case studies about the Reconstruction Era, Nazi Germany, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, and others. Political scientists today view democracy as a multi-dimensional concept and look at more than a country’s leaders, laws, and constitution to assess its strength. They also study a variety of other factors such as a society’s culture, commitment to democratic values, institutions, and the participation of citizens:^ab

• Culture includes a society’s “moral universe,” its unwritten rules of right and wrong, of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Those unwritten rules can influence the choices of leaders and their public support.
• Broad commitment to democratic values such as the acceptance of different political parties and points of view, equality, and transparency are also indicators of the health of a democracy.
• Institutions include courts, political parties, government bureaucracies, schools, unions, professional organizations, industries, and other organizations through which large groups of individuals collectively influence the lives and opinions of citizens and the choices of leaders. 
• If citizens believe they can make a difference and there are pathways available for them to participate in democracy, that can also help indicate the health of a democracy.

When students begin to see these broader contours of democratic society, they might develop a deeper understanding of how a range of factors—such as our political parties, elections, institutions, and commitments to democratic norms—all impact the health of democracy. When they appreciate the diffuse nature of power in a healthy democracy, they might also see more clearly the avenues through which their voices and choices can help shape society.

In our newly updated lesson, Assessing the Strength of Democracy  in the US, students generate, sort, and connect their ideas about democracy. Students then continue to articulate their thinking by creating a “checklist,” like the one provided below, for a healthy democracy. Reflecting on this list, in addition to their own ideas, can help students bring the state of a democracy into better focus and can help them identify where we may have work to do. Students consider the following: How would they answer these questions? What other information do they need in order to answer them better? What questions do they think need to be added to the list? What can they do when they feel any society is falling short of these standards?

Checklist for a Healthy Democracy:

1. Free and fair elections – To what extent are elections free and fair? Are democratically elected leaders committed to preserving elections and other democratic processes?
2. Fair and balanced government – Are the branches of government and primary institutions within civil society functioning effectively, trusted, and balancing each other’s power?
3. Respect for the rule of law and equal justice – Is the rule of law upheld in fair and consistent ways and applied equally to all people and branches of the government?
4. Protection of civil and human rights – Do the laws and culture of the country value and protect fundamental civil and human rights for everyone (such as free expression of ideas, freedom of religion, etc.)?
5. Free and open press – Is there a free and open press? Is there a free flow of information from multiple media sources? 
6. Empowered citizens ¹  – Do citizens and civic groups have open pathways to participate in democracy and hold the government and its leaders accountable? Do schools and communities teach young people to value democracy and how to participate in a variety of ways at local, state, and national levels?
7. Inclusive and healthy democratic norms – To what extent do citizens prioritize democracy? Are diverse segments of society able to respect differences and work toward common causes?

While this list is not comprehensive, these questions can spark vital conversation between our students and ourselves about the state of democracy. Students may not necessarily agree on the answers to these questions; a respectful conversation about their different perspectives is a hallmark of a healthy democracy (see checklist #7).

The questions can also help remind us that democracy is about more than the government and that keeping it vital requires more from us than voting. It requires that each of us attend to our culture, our institutions, and each other to nurture the spirit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness on which democracy rests.

In the Assessing the Strength of Democracy lesson, students then reflect on and discuss what civil rights leader, John Lewis, meant when he said “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.”

By reflecting on John Lewis’ call to the nation, we and our students can think about the role we might play in strengthening democracy in our homes, our schools, our communities, and our nation. What does it mean for each of us to “answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.”^c

To dive in more deeply, you can also use our collection of lesson plans, What Makes Democracy Work?, to engage your students in considering how they can nurture democratic values.

• 1Although the term “citizen” is often used to denote legal status, it can also have a broader meaning—a member of the community, a positive contributor to society and civic life—as in the phrase “a citizen of the world.” That more expansive definition of citizenship in a country, available to all people regardless of documentation, is what Facing History means when we use the word “citizen.”