Assignment: Application: Critiques of Democracy

Note: This Assignment is due by
Day 3, prior to the Discussion.

The United States often is singled out as a shining example of democratic governance; however, the U.S. system of governance is not immune to criticism. Scholars from the right and the left point out flaws in the U.S. system from its founding to its present state. An interesting feature of democratic governance is that loyal opposition and dissent are built into the system. Some democracies, including the United States, have benefited greatly from those who criticized the status quo. Not everyone who criticizes aspects of a democratic system is a detractor. On the other hand, not all criticisms are valid. In fact, some criticisms may be destructive or easily refuted. One asset of democratic systems is the ability to improve and reform successfully when faced with a legitimate criticism. Evaluating which criticisms provide an adequate justification for reform is a more difficult task.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review the article “Democracy, Nationalism and Culture: A Social Critique of Liberal Monoculturalism” in this week’s Learning Resources. Take note of critiques of democracy in the article.
• Review the articles “Plato’s Criticisms of Democracy in the Republic” and “Is Democracy Possible?” in this week’s Learning Resources. Pay particular attention to dissenting arguments about democracy.
• Think about why critiques of democracy might be an important element of democratic governance.
• Reflect on the role of critiques of democracy in reforming and improving democratic governance.
• Using the knowledge you have gained from this course, the Learning Resources for this week, and/or your own research on democracy, select two critiques of democracy for this Assignment.
• Consider (as they relate to governance and public policy) the validity of the critiques, their constructive or destructive nature, and how they might be rebutted.

The Assignment (3–5 pages):

• Briefly describe the two critiques of democracy that you selected.
• Evaluate them as follows (as they relate to governance and public policy):
  • Explain why and how the critiques might be valid and constructive.
  • Explain why and how the critiques might be invalid and destructive.
  • Explain how you might refute or support these critiques.
• Share insights and/or draw conclusions based on your evaluation of critiques of democracy.

Support your Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list only for those resources not included in the Learning Resources for this course.

By Day 3

Submit your Assignment.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

• Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK10Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
• Click the Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
• Click the Week 10 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
• Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK10Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
• If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
• Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.

Do you need a similar assignment done for you from scratch? We have qualified writers to help you. We assure you an A+ quality paper that is free from plagiarism. Order now for an Amazing Discount!
Use Discount Code "Newclient" for a 15% Discount!

NB: We do not resell papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.