Scott Smitheducator

What makes a democracy different is that it is a government run by the people, giving each person a say in how they feel through their vote.

Being a part of a democracy was decided by previous governing leaders and is often referred to as the best form of government and sets the United States apart from other governments.

The elements of a democracy consist of citizen rule, free elections, majority rules with individual rights, limitations on lawmakers and citizen participation. A democracy is built on the freedom to assemble, the opportunity to speak on information about changes to the government being proposed, equality and the right to vote.

It is important to remember and know what the person running for office is representing and that a vote for that person’s views represents and aligns with yours as they will be representing your feelings and thoughts during their work in office. You should be focused on the policies and programs, not on the person(s).

The person you choose to vote for is the one who aligns closest to your personal beliefs on how and what should be done at the governing level. We are given that choice by our individual vote and others having the same values to govern our national, state and local governments.

We can build our children’s understanding of how the government works within our family. Having family meetings and allowing the family to discuss and vote on activities or meals for the family is one way. Give each a chance to speak and express their thoughts. Then take a vote.

Often when you vote the vote doesn’t go their way. This is part of democracy and the expectation is that you participate and accept the outcome of the vote. This is where the learning takes place and teaches your child the proper way of dealing with a loss and accepting the loss. This helps our children build self-esteem and gives them the tools to deal with difficult situations in life.

As much as we wish we could always be winners that isn’t always the case in real life. But learning how to deal with loss and defeat at a younger age will build lifelong empathy and understanding and will help make our world a better place to live in.

As part of our democracy, majority rules. This is often difficult when the majority only wins by a few votes and there are strong feelings on both sides. This is why elections are held every few years depending on the position which provides the opportunity for the defeated side to build a stronger case and recruit more people to align with their side to become the victor in the next election. Until the next election, both sides are expected to work together for the good of the office and the people they represent.