The nature of democracy requires that its citizens be dependent upon one another.

The nature of democracy requires that its citizens be dependent upon one another.

What would the world be like without a central governing body and unity amongst citizens? There are many forms of government but many countries have adopted democracy. Democracy is a form of government that serves as a voice for the common man and has its roots in Ancient Greece. Since Ancient Greece, democracy has come a long way, where nowadays anyone can vote and have a voice in issues that affect people daily. However the dilemma of dependency arises amongst citizens, thus it is important to discuss when it is acceptable to be dependent on each other and when not to.

Firstly, lets examine scenarios that allow for citizens to depend on another. The most notable instances are during economic hardships and natural disasters. In the 1920s during the Great Depression many people were helpless in feeding their families because of the sudden inflation in prices and elevated food prices. Roosevelt, the President at the time, issued a state of emergency and tried to put his country back on its feet by trying to encourage unity. He proposed programs such as Social Security, established the IRS, and to improve economic well being introduced the FDIC which would insure bankers up to 100,000 USD if a bank would go bankrupt. This is still in effect today. Apart from FDR’s efforts, many organizations such as the Salvation Army and the Red Cross were trying to help people in need but lacked a sizeable number of volunteers. However, due to FDR he established the Civil Workers Administration to put people to work by doing volunteer services. The most notable accomplishment was that people volunteered to learn First Aid and became certified, which would soon help people in need without increasing the government debt ceiling. Another example, when people would be dependent on each other is when natural disasters occurred. In the aftermath of the 2004 Hurricane Katrina, many people were left homeless and needed emergency assistance. Eventually the FEMA administration jumped into to alleviate this pandemonium by establishing emergency centers in New Orleans  and other hard hit areas. FEMA trailers were given to families to live in temporarily. So these two example show that people in democracy can be dependent during special circumstances.

On the other hand, people are not always dependent on one another in a democracy. People mind their own daily business but if any issues arise people, suggestions and proposals are sent to government representatives on their behalf. A democracy also encourages independence in a sense that people are free to pursue their own choice of livelihood. If a person demonstrates talent and hard work, he or she is able to take advantage of educational and work opportunities. For example, a student picking their career path in medicine has got nothing to do with other people and is an individual decision. The student will use available resources to help them prepare for the exam. Another example, is that democracy also lets people think for themselves in terms of voting. Government official and fellow citizens can not tell someone how to vote or who to vote for.

Indeed, a democracy would not be possible without the dependence of its citizens on each other regarding aspects of disaster, upholding the rule of law or when economic crises loom. On the other hand, a democracy doesn’t require people to be dependent when personal choices are being made such as choosing a career or voting.