Debate: Is America still a model for the world?

Two academics discuss the future of America as a model for the world.

Resolution:

Is America still a model for the world?

Arguing “YES” is Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at American Enterprise Institute. She also had a career in the government spanning the defense department, the state department, and the White House.

Arguing “NO” is Brian Klaas, a political scientist, host of the Power Corrupts Podcast, and taught classes of democracy across the world, especially in counties where democracy was fragile.

The debate is hosted by John Donvan.

Schake opened up by saying that America has never been a perfect country. It has failed in a lot of different ways, such as slavery. However, America has proven to be a successful democracy because they strive at becoming a more perfect union.

“We’re not good at having it right, we’re good at getting it right,” she said.

She also went to talk about how despite Former President Trump’s action at inciting a mob, America still readjusted itself. The American people’s reaction to the incitement will only strengthen democracy.

Her final point is that Trump has attempted to undermine the democratic institutions, but the institutions still held. He tried to betray the people’s trust in the media, but journalists continued to do their jobs. He tried to convince state officials in charge of the election to give votes to him, but they refused to and still worked with integrity.

Klaas spoke about the long-term democratic issues within America’ institution. He talked about input legitimacy, which is how policy gets made in democracy. In the institution, the electoral college has elected two presidents in the past twenty years that were against the popular vote.

In terms of policy making, a lot of policies that are pushed around in Congress stem from powerful people who have a lot of money. Furthermore, gerrymandering has allowed for very little competition in the 2016 House races.

“The average margin of victory in those House races was 37%.” he said.

He then turned to output legitimacy, or how things get done and the policy that is made as a result. There is extreme inequality in the Healthcare system, systemic racism, and the unequal education system.

In the national government, women only make up 23% of elected officials. In the other democratic nations, women make up 25%.

The two transitioned to a debate about the electoral college.

Schake said that there is no way to balance small and large state influence. If there is no electoral college, then California and New York decide the future of the country.

“The genius of the American system of democracy is the way it balances urban and rural,” she said.

She asked Klaas how he would balance two states such as South Dakota and California.

Klaas argued that even with the electoral college, South Dakota is still ignored. In the last four elections, presidential candidates would spend more than 90% of their campaign stops at six states.

“Nobody goes to Idaho, nobody goes to South Dakota, people go to the swing states that end up having a disproportionate influence,” he said.

Donvan closed the debate and thanked both sides for presenting their arguments.