US public is paying the price
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China Daily, August 24, 2011
The debt crisis has exposed the defects rather than the advantages of America's tit for tat democratic system
The US debt crisis has drawn much criticism both at home and aboard. It is inconceivable to many people that as the only superpower in the world the US was locked in a struggle that threatened to bring the wheels of state to a halt had the politicians not arrived at a last-minute compromise to raise the nation's debt limit in order to avoid a debt default.
As a country that always boasts it has the most "perfect" democratic system in the world, the US is not doing well in its domestic affairs and the debt crisis has exposed the defects rather than the advantages of its system. Even many US citizens have appealed for introspection and reform of the country's political system.
The core of the US democratic system is the representative system of government and the separation of the executive, legislative and judicial powers. People have the right to elect representatives they support, and these representatives are mandated to protect voters' interests. The separation of the three powers is supposed to guarantee a system of check and balances.
Such a political system has been regarded by some as the most advanced form of governance in human history, but it has been inefficient and powerless in the face of the problems the US is facing now.
First, from the perspective of the representative system, the public has the right to elect their agents, but it's hard to deprive the agents of their rights immediately if they are incompetent or crooked. Theoretically, when representative government does not work effectively and there is a deadlock between the rival parties, the government can resort to a referendum to get legitimacy and break the deadlock.
But the power of decision resides in the politicians, who will not easily hand it over. Moreover, it's hard to practice because of practical difficulties. The US has never resorted to a referendum to settle disputes when the government has reached a deadlock over public policy.
Moreover, the public has the right to depose elected officials in office, but it is restricted to lower-ranking officials, not the federal senators. So although many citizens have demonstrated in front of Capitol Hill and protested through the media, they don't have any decision-making power.
Second, although the separation of powers can prevent the spread of malpractice, it cannot guarantee that the right things are done. Separation of powers and federalism are the foundation of US constitutionalism. But as James Madison said they have been set up on the base of the inherent defects of humanity. The regime, designed without a center of authority, tries to prevent the expansion of greed and selfishness, but in fact it can only prevents the spread of greed and selfishness in the form of a dictatorship.
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