Democracy in the United States: An Analysis of its Evolution and Challenges

  • Kelvin Alfonso San Diego State University
Keywords: American democracy, Historical evolution, Core principles, Popular sovereignty, Rule of law, Civil liberties, Suffrage rights.

Abstract

Democracy in the United States has served as a model for many nations around the world. This article explores the historical evolution of democracy in the United States, its core principles, and the contemporary challenges it faces. The United States has been a beacon of democracy for over two centuries, yet it grapples with issues such as political polarization, voter suppression, and the role of money in politics. Understanding the evolution and challenges of American democracy can shed light on the broader global discourse surrounding democratic governance.

References

Dahl, R. A. (2000). "On Democracy." Yale University Press.

Diamond, L., & Morlino, L. (2005). "Assessing the Quality of Democracy." Journal of Democracy, 16(1), 51-66.

Putnam, R. D. (2000). "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community." Simon & Schuster.

Tocqueville, A. de. (2000). "Democracy in America." Penguin Classics.

Fukuyama, F. (2014). "Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy." Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Norris, P. (2004). "Electoral Engineering: Voting Rules and Political Behavior." Cambridge University Press.

Key, V. O. (1964). "American State Politics: An Introduction." Vintage.

Smith, R. M. (2019). "Campaign Finance Reform: The Political Shell Game." Routledge.

Sunstein, C. R. (2017). "#Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media." Princeton University Press.

Levitsky, S., & Ziblatt, D. (2018). "How Democracies Die." Crown.

Skocpol, T., & Fiorina, M. (1999). "Civic Engagement in American Democracy." Brookings Institution Press.

Shugart, M. S., & Carey, J. M. (1992). "Presidents and Assemblies: Constitutional Design and Electoral Dynamics." Cambridge University Press.

Somin, I. (2016). "Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government Is Smarter." Stanford University Press.

Sen, A. (1999). "Development as Freedom." Anchor Books.

Mansbridge, J. (2003). "Rethinking Representation." American Political Science Review, 97(4), 515-528.

Riker, W. H. (1982). "The Two-Party System and Duverger's Law: An Essay on the History of Political Science." American Political Science Review, 76(4), 753-766.

Linz, J. J., & Stepan, A. (1996). "Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation: Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe." Johns Hopkins University Press.

Putnam, R. D. (1995). "Tuning In, Tuning Out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in America." PS: Political Science & Politics, 28(4), 664-683.

Norris, P. (2002). "Democratic Phoenix: Reinventing Political Activism." Cambridge University Press.

Huntington, S. P. (1991). "The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century." University of Oklahoma Press.

Diamond, L. (2008). "The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies Throughout the World." Times Books.

Lipset, S. M. (1959). "Some Social Requisites of Democracy: Economic Development and Political Legitimacy." American Political Science Review, 53(1), 69-105.

Keane, J. (2009). "The Life and Death of Democracy." Simon & Schuster.

Tilly, C. (2007). "Democracy." Cambridge University Press.

Dahl, R. A. (1989). "Democracy and Its Critics." Yale University Press.

Huntington, S. P. (1993). "The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century." University of Oklahoma Press.

Fishkin, J. S. (2009). "When the People Speak: Deliberative Democracy and Public Consultation." Oxford University Press.

Fearon, J. D., & Laitin, D. D. (1996). "Explaining Interethnic Cooperation." American Political Science Review, 90(4), 715-735.

Schumpeter, J. A. (1942). "Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy." Routledge.

Keohane, R. O., & Nye, J. S. (2000). "Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition." Longman.

Fukuyama, F. (1992). "The End of History and the Last Man." Free Press.

Przeworski, A., Alvarez, M. E., Cheibub, J. A., & Limongi, F. (2000). "Democracy and Development: Political Institutions and Well-being in the World, 1950-1990." Cambridge University Press.

Inglehart, R. (1997). "Modernization and Postmodernization: Cultural, Economic, and Political Change in 43 Societies." Princeton University Press.

Anderson, B. (1983). "Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism." Verso.

McClosky, H. (1964). "Consensus and Ideology in American Politics." American Political Science Review, 58(2), 361-382.

Huntington, S. P. (1968). "Political Order in Changing Societies." Yale University Press.

Lipset, S. M. (1994). "The Social Requisites of Democracy Revisited: 1993 Presidential Address." American Sociological Review, 59(1), 1-22.

Gaventa, J., & Barrett, G. (2012). "So What Difference Does it Make? Mapping the Outcomes of Citizen Engagement." World Development, 40(12), 2379-2390.

Habermas, J. (1996). "Between Facts and Norms: Contributions to a Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy." MIT Press.

May, J. D. (1973). "Opinion Structure under Coalition Government." American Political Science Review, 67(4), 1183-1204.

Published
2023-09-14
How to Cite
Kelvin Alfonso. (2023). Democracy in the United States: An Analysis of its Evolution and Challenges. International Journal of Science and Society, 5(4), 321-329. https://doi.org/10.54783/ijsoc.v5i4.789