FRAGILE FOUNDATION

reporting fell. According to the Reuters Institute, the U.S. places last in citizen’s trust in their press compared to 45 other major world powers, sitting with only 29 percent trust. This is frightening – if the press can’t even be trusted to hold the rulers in power accountable for their actions, then the gap between the people and the government will only grow, and democracy will be further abused.

Thus, democracy is a vulnerable system, no doubt. However, despite its fragile foundation, dependent on the impractical cooperation and transparency between its citizens and people, the U.S. can overcome its current difficulties and remain a beacon of freedom for people everywhere. For this to happen, the government must work better to be transparent and also administer consequences to those who abuse democracy’s fragility. Beyond the government, the American people must better use their intelligence rather than party loyalty to make political decisions and actions.

Then, and only then, will American democracy prove to be capable of creating and sustaining a nation where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are always possible for everyone, everywhere, every day of their lives.