Democracy Requires Legitimacy
By: Marcus Cervantes
Tags: Democracy, Political Reading, Congress, Call To Action

Photo by Joshua Sukoff

This is madness and unprecedented.

Texas is suing battleground states and asking the Supreme Court to invalidate millions of votes and overturn the election. An election with a historic 66% voter turnout during a global pandemic. This turnout is democracy at its best but instead, key actors are trying to push the guardrails of our democracy. 106 Republican congress members have also signed onto the case as well as other GOP stronghold states. There’s been zero evidence of voter fraud that would have changed the outcome of the election.

Here’s why this is dangerous.

For democracy to thrive and remain stable it needs legitimacy. The system requires actors who abide by democratic established norms and the masses willing to safeguard these institutions. Without this legitimacy, our democratic institutions will collapse. It’s really no surprise it had come to this absurdity, the President of the United States has constantly attacked the media, our court system, and those that opposed him. A strategy we’ve seen by dictators and authoritarians in non-democratic countries. This strategy allows them to suppress opposition to remain in power and further their own selfish interest. A set of established norms, legitimate democratic institutions, and a strong judicial system are exactly what those who seek to abuse power fear the most. Without legitimacy, the US will be more susceptible to abuse by politicians who seek office for their own selfish reasons.

It is important that the people feel safe to actively engage in the political arena and to advocate for the government to address issues within their community. People who participate in the voting process must believe in the system. They must believe that their vote counted even if their preferred candidate loses. Another fundamental aspect of democracy is that people see one another as legitimate rivals. Republicans and Democrats understand that they have different viewpoints in policy and governing but the important aspect is to see the other side as a legitimate rival. What this simply means is you accept the person has different opposing views and you don’t view them as an enemy of the public for doing so. That’s how a healthy functioning democracy would look like.

However, we’re not at the point yet.

State’s suing other states to overturn election results, congress members calling on the Supreme Court to void the election and a wave of misinformation has crippled not only the trust in our democratic institutions but I think it has also crippled our trust in one another. If Democracy is to thrive then we need to also be willing to discuss issues with the other side and we can’t do that if we do not trust one another. Free speech, the right to assembly, the free press, the military and the right to bear arms are all cornerstones of our country to protect Democracy and hold the government accountable.

However, democracy has another ally that it relies on. Average people like you and I. Just average people who care about issues within their community, who work a 9–5 but still vote, the single mother/father advocating for better childcare, the truck drivers, the healthcare workers, the accountant, the non-profit worker, the fast-food worker, the welder, the mechanic, the small business owner and so forth. Democracy can only protect us as much as we are willing to protect it. It calls on us to hold the line during these troubling times.