America’s understanding of democracy changed
from racially discriminatory voting to
totalitarian suffrage after the emergence of independent countries worldwide.
To be considered democratic, a country must choose its leaders through fair and
competitive elections, ensure basic civil liberties, and respect the rule of
law. America was not a true democracy before the civil rights struggle
because they were not being governed by all of their citizens (represented by
their votes). It wasn’t until the world took notice of democracy and
democracy started to spread, that America started to develop their present
understanding of democracy. After World War II, independent democracies started
emerging everywhere. A Local Histories Timeline revealed that Japan wrote a new
constitution and started elections in 1946. In 1948, Israel became this first
democratic country in the Middle East. In 1952, India became an independent
democracy. America barred African-Americans from suffrage legally and
practically, until the civil rights struggle of 1955-1968. It is evident
that seeing countries with different races contributing equal votes toward
sustained democratic elections clarified the understanding of true democracy
for American's.
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