Was the Concept of Democracy Doomed From the Start?

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Who were some of the first democratic thinkers?

Before I attempt to answer the concepts of a doomed democracy, I first want to give the reader a brief overview of the history of the ideas that have led to our present form of democracy.

Democracy comes from the Greek word “Rule by the People.”

1. Both Socrates and Plato expressed concerns about how a system based on majority rule could regress into a system of mob rule.
2. Plato’s Republic appraises the problems created by a system in which everyone has an equal vote regardless of their skills or knowledge.
3. In his Politics, Aristotle viewed democracy as more benign. He thought constitutional safeguards could be built into various democratic systems to prevent the slide into mob rule.
4. These ancient Greek ideas greatly influenced Montesquieu, Lock, and our founding fathers.
5. The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 essays written in the 1780s that support a proposed constitution and a strong federal government. *Bell, K. E. (2011). The Media’s Influence Over Americans’ Views of the United States Constitution is Evidenced by the Federalist Papers and Editorials Written Regarding the Modern Tea Party Movement…